To Speak His Name

By Tara Johnson

Book Overview

Avalina is a woman trapped in silence. Stolen from her home in Ireland and sold as a slave to a Barbados plantation owner, the trauma of her past has left her mute, wrapped in a prison of loneliness and isolation amid an island of beauty. Though she longs to be free from the cruelty of her overseer, her heart yearns for a greater freedom...something just beyond her grasp.

Josiah Holland has been born into a South Carolina slave-holding family but all it takes is one trip to the island of Barbados to open his eyes to the ugly cruelty that abounds beyond the confines of his plantation. With the aid of fiery abolitionist Benjamin McGee, Josiah forges a new future, fighting the very ideals he was once a part of.

When Avalina and Josiah's lives entwine, will their spark engulf them in destruction, or ignite a revolution?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1962845036
• ISBN13: 9781962845038
• Release Date: March 2024
• Publisher: Story Architect
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful & Inspiring

Can I just say wow! Deserves more stars for exceptional writing that pulls you into the story from the beginning and will leave an imprint on your heart. The historical aspects are so enlightening of others plights and the courage it takes to endure. My heart was broken not just because of the characters but because of the truths it revealed. Avalina is a beautiful soul trapped not just in slavery but also in her inability to speak because of trauma except to speak to a couple of individuals. To watch as she learns of the one true God and the realization that He is the source of her needs is so inspiring. I admire Josiah for being brave to fight for the injustices he sees when on a trip to Barbados as well as the risks he takes to protect the woman he loves. It is a story that contains the ugly as well as the beauty that comes from the ashes. Descriptive writing that makes you feel like you are actually a witness to the cruelty but also to the beautiful love story that unfolds. This book will definitely go on my favorites shelf to be reread. I highly recommend putting this on the top of your must read pile. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

epic historical fiction

"The most loving thing we can do is to walk and speak in truth." It's another heart-rending yet hopeful and redemptive historical fiction from Tara Johnson. I did not know much about the Irish slave trade under King James I but learned a great deal through this book. Slavery is such a difficult topic, no matter which races and cultures are involved. The author did a tremendous job detailing slavery in Barbados and South Carolina; I felt like I was in the midst of the uprising that happened in Barbados as Josiah and Avalina fought their way out. Avalina's first person thoughts were sweet, innocent, timid, and captivating;; Josiah's third person voice was refreshing, honest, and strengthened by sense of justice. It's truly an epic journey from Barbados to South Carolina, from being silenced by fear to emboldened by truth and love, from misplaced human loyalty to faith in the One offering Truth and Mercy, from ignorance born of powerlessness to wisdom and knowledge born of the heart. It's a historical fiction that will have you completely absorbed in 1816 as brave souls seek freedom. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.