A CIVIL WAR NOVEL OF HOPE, COURAGE AND REDEMPTION
by Annette Oppenlander
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical Young Adult
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Two
friends--one black, one white.
Torn apart by an attack gone wrong.
One escapes into war, the other is sold into slavery.
Told from alternating viewpoints, one black and one white, Surviving the Fatherland author Annette Oppenlander delivers another stunning historical tale set against the epic backdrop of the American Civil War--a breathtaking examination of the power of hope and friendship, and the endurance of the human spirit to find a way home.
Tennessee, 1861. Fifteen-year-old farm boy Adam Brown would do anything to protect his friend Tip, a slave at the neighboring plantation—even if it means fighting Nathan Billings, the rich and obnoxious landowner’s son. But when it seems his attack has killed Nathan, Adam has no choice but to run away and join the Union Army under an assumed name. Together with Wes, a chatty soldier with a few secrets of his own, Adam embarks on a traumatic odyssey through the war-torn Midwest. As his soul darkens with the atrocities of war, all he wants is to go home. But in order to do that—if he survives—he must face his past.
Unbeknownst to Adam, sixteen-year old Tip is sold to a farmer who takes drunken pleasure in torturing his slaves. Tip quickly realizes that if he wants to survive he must run. Ahead lie hundreds of miles of unknown country, infested by slave owners, traders, starvation and cold. And so begins a journey of escape and recapture, of brutal attacks and unexpected kindness. When a rescue by the Underground Railroad goes terribly wrong, Tip finds himself caring for a pregnant runaway, his journey seemingly at an end. They have reached the Ohio River, a vast watery expanse impossible to cross. It is only a matter of time before roaming slave traders will pick them up—he will never see his mother and his best friend again.
Torn apart by an attack gone wrong.
One escapes into war, the other is sold into slavery.
Told from alternating viewpoints, one black and one white, Surviving the Fatherland author Annette Oppenlander delivers another stunning historical tale set against the epic backdrop of the American Civil War--a breathtaking examination of the power of hope and friendship, and the endurance of the human spirit to find a way home.
Tennessee, 1861. Fifteen-year-old farm boy Adam Brown would do anything to protect his friend Tip, a slave at the neighboring plantation—even if it means fighting Nathan Billings, the rich and obnoxious landowner’s son. But when it seems his attack has killed Nathan, Adam has no choice but to run away and join the Union Army under an assumed name. Together with Wes, a chatty soldier with a few secrets of his own, Adam embarks on a traumatic odyssey through the war-torn Midwest. As his soul darkens with the atrocities of war, all he wants is to go home. But in order to do that—if he survives—he must face his past.
Unbeknownst to Adam, sixteen-year old Tip is sold to a farmer who takes drunken pleasure in torturing his slaves. Tip quickly realizes that if he wants to survive he must run. Ahead lie hundreds of miles of unknown country, infested by slave owners, traders, starvation and cold. And so begins a journey of escape and recapture, of brutal attacks and unexpected kindness. When a rescue by the Underground Railroad goes terribly wrong, Tip finds himself caring for a pregnant runaway, his journey seemingly at an end. They have reached the Ohio River, a vast watery expanse impossible to cross. It is only a matter of time before roaming slave traders will pick them up—he will never see his mother and his best friend again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: The book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Adam rushed to the opening that was closest to the stables and
peeked out. Nathan’s mother, wearing a gown of crisp cotton with a soft pattern
of cornflowers, its blue reminding Adam of his own mother’s eyes, stood waiting
outside. She held a dainty umbrella of cream-white lace to shade out the sun
and a pair of riding gloves. “If you don’t come soon, I must go back inside,”
she said, her voice almost too quiet to hear. “It is dreadfully hot today.”
“You think she look in here?” Tip whispered.
Adam shook his head and kept watching the yard. His mind
screamed leave. Yet he stood with indecision. He couldn’t go outside while
Janet Billings was near. Thoughts of what he’d done roiled inside his head,
panic drying his mouth.
To his relief, Janet Billings slowly wandered back toward
the main house when Wilkes crossed her path. She was too far for Adam to hear,
but Wilkes’s voice boomed easily across the lawn. “Sure, M’am, I’ll be happy to
search for him. Give me a few minutes…I’ll be right back.”
To Adam’s horror, Wilkes headed straight toward the stables
and then made a sudden turn toward the grain shack. Obviously it was well known
that Nathan Billings liked to torture Tip.
Adam leaped from the window, grabbed Nathan’s feet and
pulled him toward a stack of burlap sacks. He had mere seconds to hide them
both. From the corner of his eye he saw Tip turn on his side, pretending to be
asleep. Desperately yanking at the sacks to make space, he pushed Nathan, who
felt soft as a bag of flour, and himself into the opening and cowered low.
The door flew open. “Mr. Billings, are you in here?” Wilkes
rushed to Tip’s cot. “You awake, Boy?”
Tip grumbled and rubbed his eyes. “Something wrong?”
“Have you seen Master Nathan?”
Tip shook his head, his brown eyes wide. “No, Sir.”
“I wonder why the shack was unlocked,” Wilkes mumbled as he
turned and walked back out.
“They pick up wheat for the kitchen earlier,” Tip offered,
but the overseer was already gone, the chain rattling on the outside.
Adam slowly rose as Tip sat up on his cot. Their eyes met.
They’d both be hanged come morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Oppenlander’s
bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, was elected to IWIC’s
Hall of Fame, won the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award and is a finalist in
the 2017 Kindle Book Awards. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from
the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely,
Oppenlander weaves actual historical figures and events into her plots, giving
readers a flavor of true history while enjoying a good story. Oppenlander
shares her knowledge through writing workshops at colleges, libraries and
schools. She also offers vivid presentations and author visits. The mother of
fraternal twins and a son, she recently returned to her home, Solingen, Germany
where she lives with her husband and old mutt, Mocha.
Website: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/annetteoppenlanderauthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/aoppenlander
Pinterest:
annoppenlander
Blog:
http://www.annetteoppenlander.com/blog/
Amazon Buy
Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WQBQQ5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Annette
Oppenlander will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via
rafflecopter during the tour.
DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!
March 26: Unabridged Andra's
March 26: Andi's Young Adult Books
April 2: Notes From a Romantic's Heart
April 9: Locks, Hooks and Books
April 9: Bookaholic
April 16: Rainy Day Reviews
April 16: Books Direct
My Review
Everything We Lose: A Civil War Novel of Hope, Courage and Redemption is a great book! Adam and Tip’s story is heart wrenching and full of heartache, as well as, exhibits the bravery of many of the time. The author did a great job of vividly describing how horrific the times were during this moment of history in our country. This is one of those books a reader would have a hard time putting down. I could not and had it read in a few hours.
I give Everything We Lose a well-deserved 5+ stars. I hope to read more books by Annette Oppenlander in the future.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the review! I'll be around today if anybody has questions.
ReplyDeleteShared on G+ to help spread the word, good luck with the book tour! 🦋
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed getting to know your book; congrats on the tour, I hope it is a fun one for you, and thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteDo you ever suffer from writer’s block and, if so, how do you overcome it?
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt & I loved your review!
ReplyDeleteFantastic Blurb and excerpt! This sounds like a wonderful read!
ReplyDeleteThanks 4 sharing and congrats on the tour.
ReplyDeleteI find the cover very startling in a good way.
ReplyDeleteDo you like any other genres in fiction to read or write?
ReplyDeleteDo you prefer ebooks or print versions?
ReplyDeleteDo you prefer audio or books to read on your own?
ReplyDelete