Then Came Faith
Juliana Harris arrives in New Orleans to do her part in helping to rebuild the South at the end of the Civil War. She plans to help her friend open a school for black children. She soon finds herself encountering Andre Beauchamp, formal naval officer for the South. His father and fortune are gone, his mother barely alive, and he must care for her and the former slaves that have remained with him. He has no use for Northern abolitionists who are coming to change the way he lives. Andre finds himself drawn to this kind and good Northern woman, despite their differences, as she tries to make him understand the error of his ways.
History buffs may not enjoy this story’s simple portrayal of the South as evil and the North as good, where the only issue of the war is slavery. However, romance readers will enjoy Ms. Gouge’s special gift for plot and character development. Her characters are complex, with rich emotional lives. The fast-paced plot is full of surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. This is Ms. Gouge’s first book in a series that will explore the impact of slavery.