Marianne Johnson in no way personifies the idea of a typical
rich plantation owner's daughter except when attending the
requisite social events. But instead of enjoying the pomp
and gaiety of these occasions Marianne found herself
fighting back the ever present yawn. She was much more at
home tending her gardens and her people. Marianne had a
special relationship, one of respect and care, with her
father's slaves and the feeling was mutual. She was unhappy
with the entire idea of slavery but felt helpless to do
anything about it. Slavery was an intrinsic element of
living in the south. Everyone had slaves but not everyone
treated their slaves humanely. As part of moneyed plantation
families the Johnson's had a long standing relationship with
the Chambard's, watching their children grow into adults.
Marianne originally considers the elder Chambard's son as
her potential mate but as she gets to know the younger
brother, Yves, she begins to develop strong feelings and it
becomes obvious the feelings are indeed mutual. But the
states are about to undergo some radical changes with the
upcoming election of Abraham Lincoln for president and Yves
has no intention of siding with the south. He too harbors
great resentment for the slave situation and has secretly
been doing his best to assist many on their way to freedom.
Simone, the daughter of Josephine and Planor Di Blieux
(from Always and Forever), has her sights set on still
another Chambard son -- Gabriel. There is no denying the
attraction between these two but southern society would
never accept a marriage between a white woman and the son of
a white man and a slave woman. Both these relationships seem
doomed from the very beginning.
EVER MY LOVE is the continuation of the saga which began in
Gretchen Craig's premier book. The offspring of the original
characters are now adults and as such face some rather harsh
race issues. Growing up on the plantation the mixture of
races was commonplace. Being a freeman of color brought a
whole spectrum of acceptance issues off the safety of the
plantation. A person of mixed races also had to make a
difficult decision on whether or not to face the future
"passing" as white when possible. Once again, Craig has
painted a vivid, albeit at times harsh, picture of the life
of plantation owners and their slaves. This is actually a
story of three very diverse couples looking for a future
together during a time in history that placed seemingly
insurmountable barriers and obstacles in their paths. The
author doesn't pull any punches and reminds us of a time
when humanity seemed to have lost its way.
Brought up amid the luxury of plantation life, Marianne
Johnston never questions her sheltered life until, driven
by her conscience, she joins the Underground Railroad.
Soon Marianne is living a dangerous double life, helping
slaves flee by night and acting the belle by day. Through
her duties as nurse and healer to the slaves on the
plantation, she meets the distinguished young freeman, Dr.
Gabriel Chamard, son of a slave and a wealthy planter.
When Gabriel is kidnapped and sold into slavery, she
determines to rescue him. Risking reputation and perhaps
even her life, Marianne joins the wild, heartless Yves
Chamard in the search for Gabriel, and finds Yves’s
passionate seduction more dangerous than the slave hunters
who pursue them.
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