finished reading...

One of the reasons I like reading historical fiction is that it takes some nugget of fact and fleshes it out with a story. This book is set on the cusp of the Civil War when the issue of slaves as property was ripe. Located in Ohio, Tawawa House is an idyllic retreat for Southern white men who vacation there every summer with their enslaved black mistresses.

The four women featured in this book have varying understanding of the relationships they have with their masters. It's also the story of friendship and how these women blossom in their friendships, even though they only have contact with each other at the summer resort. The reader can see the boundaries separating the characters even when the characters cannot.

A very good book.