Forbidden love leads to hatred and revenge

This week, I decided to read a little historical fiction and selected “The Throwback: The Girl Who Didn’t Belong” by David Canford.

The story is set in South Carolina well before the Civil War. Black Oaks Plantation has been owned by the Elwood family for several generations. The current owner, George Elwood, is determined to raise a son capable of maintaining it for future generations. He readily admits that he is terribly disappointed in his son, Thomas. The boy is bright enough, but has a crippled leg. Only a strong, healthy, aggressive son will do for George.

He is greatly disappointed when his wife, Jane, gives birth to a girl, but he becomes livid when he sees that the child is colored. The doctor insists that one of them may have had a mixed race ancestor. Just one drop of Negro blood made a person “colored” so George orders Maisie, the wet nurse, to drown the baby. Maisie sneaks onto a nearby plantation and convinces one of the slave women to take the baby she’s named Mosa. A few days later, they hold a funeral for Jane and the baby. Only George knows how Jane died, and Maisie knows the fate of baby Mosa.

Within months, George has a new wife and soon Jefferson is born. He is the perfect son George has always wanted, and he continually reminds Thomas that Jefferson will inherit everything. Thomas has the freedom and one day he meets a strangely light colored slave girl. She says the slaves won’t accept her because the mistress won’t allow half-breeds.

Thomas convinced the cook that she could use some help, and soon Mosa was working in the Elwood kitchen. Their friendship grew and Thomas risked teaching Mosa to read and write. He hoped to one day take her north where she could be free. Instead, he is sent to Savannah to work in a bank.

Years pass and when Thomas returns he learns that Jefferson has raped Mosa. Thomas is so angry he challenges Jefferson to a duel and kills him. Like it or not, George must groom Thomas to take over.

Fearing that Thomas and Mosa might fall in love, Maisie tells him the truth.

Saddened, Thomas moves Mosa to New York where she secures a job as a teacher to black orphans. The Civil War changes everything. By then, George is dead, and Thomas is in charge. Times are tough because they can’t sell the cotton, but Thomas treats the slaves well and works beside them to grow enough food.
Mosa has faced trouble in New York. The man she hoped to marry has enlisted and she hasn’t heard from him in months. Then the orphanage is attacked and burned forcing the school to move to a former asylum. That’s when Mosa receives a letter from Thomas Elwood’s lawyer telling her that he has left the plantation to her in his will.

She immediately sets out for “home.” To get there, she must cross battlefields, go through burned out cities and avoid robbers and worse. Mosa learns that Thomas was killed by an overseer he had fired. She quickly establishes order and makes plans to survive the war.

Thomas’ killer leads a rebel unit onto the property. They plan to ambush the Union soldiers following them. Mosa is determined to warn them and save those who are her friends.

The captain turns out to be her former fiancé. He confesses that he has married and has a family. Mosa is actually relieved because she has strong feelings for a fellow slave, Joshua. A bloody battle ensues, resulting in the loss of the house and barn, but Mosa and the others are determined to make this black-owned plantation a success and a haven of freedom.

AT A GLANCE
BOOK: “The Throwback: The Girl Who Didn’t Belong”
AUTHOR: David Canford
PUBLISHER: Amazon Digital Services LLC
PUBLISHED: Jan. 20, 2018
PAGES: 276