October, 1866
After surviving war, young Mary Catherine is torn from her home and
thrust into a strange new life when her family decamps for Brazil rather
than live with the terms of Reconstruction. Shortly after arrival in
Brazil, she is orphaned, leaving only maternal uncle Nathan to care for
her. He hates Mary Catherine, blaming her for his beloved sister’s death
following a childish mistake. He is also a man with an incredible
secret that he will go to great lengths to protect. When the opportunity
for Nathan to be rid of her arises, Mary Catherine faces either forced
marriage to an unsuitable man or flight into the wilderness containing
jaguars and enclaves of people with much to hide. Mary Catherine chooses
escape.
Finding refuge among strangers who become her surrogate parents, she
matures into a beauty who marries the scion of a wealthy Portuguese
family. At last, Mary Catherine has happiness and security until civil
unrest brings armed intruders with whom she has an inexplicable
connection. When the thugs murder her husband for failing to meet their
demands, she directs them to her uncle and his secret in order to save
herself and her in-laws. With the danger passed, however, her husband’s
family demands that she is arrested for complicity in her husband’s
murder. Innocent and betrayed by family for a second time, Mary
Catherine must now fight for survival.
Mary Catherine is rescued from the gallows by friends, but cannot
remain in Brazil. She boards a ship bound for New York with little money
and without a home to return to, a family to welcome her, or a nation
from which to claim citizenship. Her father never took the loyalty oath
required of all former Confederates in order to have their citizenship
restored. Once again, she must recreate herself in order to survive.
In old age, Mary Catherine is still haunted by the long ago events
for which she feels responsible. After a lifetime trying to forget, she
seeks peace, understanding, and the ability to forgive through writing
her story, Confederado do Norte.
Publication Date: July 7, 2014; Soul Mate Publishing
eBook; 310p
ASIN: B00LMN5OMI
eBook; 310p
ASIN: B00LMN5OMI
Genre: Historical Fiction
Add to Goodreads | Get Your Copy at Amazon
Praise for Confederado de Norte
5
Stars "The pacing and flow of the story are smooth and keep the
reader's interest until the end. A masterful work of adventure, romance,
and independence." InD'Tale Magazine
"...fresh, original, exotic, and intriguing. I was hooked in a heartbeat and eager to see where the story might go... A memorable and thought-provoking [read]." -Flashlight Commentary
I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic,
recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being
part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long
summer afternoons on my grandmother’s porch or winter evenings gathered
around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and
poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those stories were
also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have
found their way into my work.
As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself.
We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately we tend to
sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages
that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out
of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the
possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your
mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us
never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or
himself, “Let’s pretend.”
I reside in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable
German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl.
Favorite quote regarding my professional passion: “History is filled
with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes
coming up.” -Voltaire
For more information please visit Linda Bennett Pennell’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
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