The Secrets of Heavenly

Heavenly Plantation, Book 1

By: Teresa Robison

Narrated by: Chris Abell

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Olivia's marriage to an African-American man was unacceptable to her mother Emma, Southern-bred descendant of prominent South Carolina slaveholders. Olivia assumed that bigotry was the product of her mother's loyalty to long-dead relatives, an allegiance to maintain the family's white blood line. After Emma's death though, Olivia finds a letter and an old journal among her belongings. Soon, she discovers the secret that prompted Emma to irrationally blame an entire race - a secret that had nothing to do with family history, although it strongly paralleled another tragic event from the past.

1846, Marianne Witherell's journal: Before Lincoln and the American Civil War, slavery is at its peak in South Carolina. A young slave girl named Willa suddenly arrives at Heavenly Plantation with her mother Heddie, destined to serve the wealthy plantation family as house servants. Right away, two of the Master's children - Marianne and Seth - forge a bond with Willa, in spite of their older brother Foster's warnings about the evils of mixing with the "darkies".

Although she grows up in the "big house" treated like family by her pair of white friends, Willa cannot forget that she is still a slave. Never is that fact made clearer than when Foster cruelly taunts and threatens her in secret. As it threads through the lives of its diverse characters, this novel captures the complicated and often violent nature of life in the antebellum South.

As Willa's story is told, a dramatic tapestry is woven, binding the Witherell family to a web of secrets that include forbidden love and faithful friendships alongside dangerous obsessions, mental instability, and even murder.

©2013 Teresa Robison (P)2016 Teresa Robison

Did not care for narrator

The storyline and overall content was good. The narrator was not appropriate for this type of content.

Exceptional!

This was a great read. I like that it went into a lot of detail about the personal experience of slavery in the South. I was also glad that they pointed out that not all southerners condoned slavery.

Always the dirty end of the whip?

Lazarus' faithfulness and selflessness is love. Seth's love trumps this? Such is the stuff of fairy tale plots.
This is an interesting and well written piece of fiction that kept me pulled in until Seth' s look of love trumps Lazarus' demonstrated devotion. Seth leaves with his forever servants

The Secrets of Heavenly

This is a great book set in the back drop of the south during Slavery. A love story that one will never forget.

a white man narrates a black woman..?

why an earth would you have a white man (sounds like) narrator for black women and white woman...began preposterously. Struggle due to ridiculous narrator. written View from white perspective which made the story trite and unbelievable. No emotion conveyed. this could have been so much better, but missed the mark altogether. no details no scenery no emotion...zzzzzz

Good Story - Poor Presentation

The story was good but I believe that the presenter detracted from the story. It made it sound old times and a little mocking.

I LIKED IT BUT....

What did you love best about The Secrets of Heavenly?

Great story

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secrets of Heavenly?

Great story

What didn’t you like about Chris Abell’s performance?

A woman should have narrated for the female characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Great story

Any additional comments?

Great story Great story

Not the right narrator

Loved the story and the characters. Definitely the wrong narrator for the book! Too bad!

Heavenly

loved it. where is book 2? I have no problem reading this book again. Thanks

Spellbinding!

Very interesting! Kept me wanting to continue to read! Loved the ending! A very good read!