The Preacher’s Daughter and the Runaway
Alfred Gattenby
Type: ARC
Genre: Historical fiction
Word count: 59,745
In 1750s Currituck County, preacher’s daughter Sarah Mason secretly aids Joshua, an escaped slave, choosing compassion over harsh colonial law. Their desperate flight into the treacherous Great Dismal Swamp pits them against a relentless magistrate and tests the limits of Sarah’s courage and faith. Please note: this book is only available in PDF format.
What’s this?
In 1750s Currituck County, North Carolina, preacher’s daughter Sarah Mason’s quiet world is shattered when she aids Joshua, an injured runaway slave. Choosing compassion over brutal colonial law and her father’s teachings, Sarah embarks on a perilous journey into the treacherous Great Dismal Swamp to save him. Pursued by the unyielding Magistrate Nathaniel Flora, who seeks to make them an example, Sarah confronts the raw injustices of her time. This gripping tale of courage, sacrifice, and the human spirit explores the true cost of freedom and the dangerous, transformative power of empathy in a land grappling with its soul. Inspired by a real gravestone reading “Joshua, 1751,” this is a profound story of hidden history.
After a distinguished career in high-stakes military and tech operations, including Cold War espionage as a US Navy Submarine Sonar Technician and confronting nation-state cyberattacks as a Principal Engineer at Microsoft, Alfred Gattenby now turns his keen eye for detail and authenticity to historical fiction. His deep connection to Moyock, NC, where he lives on a small farm with his wife Ann, provided the direct inspiration for The Preacher’s Daughter and the Runaway. This rich local history, combined with a dedication to immersive storytelling, shapes his exploration of the past. Alfred and Ann tend to their animals, read, and enjoy astronomy.
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