Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Born enslaved but able to pass as a white woman, Dahlia Holt escapes Vesterville plantation and has a chance to reinvent herself when a young white Englishman invites her to become his betrothed. Even after marrying into a wealthy family and renaming herself Lily, she realizes that the scar on her back will be all the confirmation any slave catcher needs to expose her true identity. As the American South hurtles toward the Civil War, Dahlia confronts the instability of her new social standing and realizes how much she'll have to sacrifice to keep the ones she loves free from harm. Thomas' (Un-nappily in Love, 2020) well-researched and compelling novel charts Dahlia's complex journey of escape, reinvention, and self-acceptance. Fans of Alena Dillon and Lucinda Riley will be moved by this historical glimpse into a brutal time period. Not shying away from the cruelties of slavery, Thomas gives a voice to the enslaved by exploring the power of shared humanity and newfound courage.