Awards

• Short-listed for Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year 2021
• Winner of Diverse Book Awards 2021

Overview

The forbidden love story of a slave woman and an Irish immigrant, inspired by the author's great-great-grandparents. Henry O'Toole sails to America in 1848 to escape poverty and famine in Ireland, only to find anti-Irish prejudice awaiting him. Determined never to starve again, he changes his surname to Taylor and heads south to the state of Virginia, seeking work as a travelling blacksmith on the prosperous plantations. Sarah is a slave. Torn from her family and sold to Jubilee Plantation, she must navigate the hierarchy of her fellow slaves, the whims of her white masters, and now the attentions of the mysterious blacksmith. Fellow slave Maple oversees the big house with bitterness and bile, and knows that a white man's attention spells trouble. Given to her half-sister as a wedding present by their white father, she is set on being reunited with her husband and daughter, at any cost. This extraordinary debut novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in Black women's writing. The novel is first-person narration told in alternating viewpoints. Set in 1848-1849 in Ireland, New York and Virginia, it is an interracial love story set in pre-Civil War America, and inspired by the true story of Huf's great-great grandparents. Along with love and race, it touches on themes of identity, sacrifice, belonging and survival. '...powerful and convincing.' - The Times 'A moving debut novel.' - The Sunday Times

Full Product Details

9781912408979

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Powerful and convincing.' - The Sunday Times. 'Ambitious, sweeping, unafraid of acknowledging the complexity of the times and guaranteed to leave you welling up, this is storytelling at its finest.' - Francesca Brown, Stylist. 'Amidst hunger, deprivation and the whimsical cruelties of slavery, two people dare to steal happiness. This graceful, assured debut novel creates an unusual slave narrative that starts in potato-famine Ireland and deftly weaves a touching American love story. The deceptively easy prose bristles with danger and possibility and I loved the at once thrilling and gentle pace of the novel. Tammye Huf is a wonderful storyteller.' - Marina Salandy-Brown. 'A resonant and topical love story, intricately plotted and compellingly told, and a visceral exploration of what it means to be deprived of one's freedom. The stories of Henry, an Irish immigrant escaping the Great Famine, and Sarah, who is sold into slavery on a southern plantation, poignantly illustrate the dehumanising experience of being deprived of choice, in small ways as well as large, on a daily basis.' - Umi Sinha. 'A riveting love story across the challenges of race and poverty... Huf's delicate blend of passion and compassion is compelling, impressive and never sentimental.' - Andrea Stuart. 'Here is a detailed, complex and beautifully drawn portrayal of a relationship tied down with complexities and opposed from all sides. Each individual story, each character, each carefully placed word within this web of beautiful prose, provides strength to its authenticity and power. It is a story of the greatest adversity and the struggle of love in the darkest of times. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have had the chance to read this book. Tammye Huf, your book is a triumph and I wish it every success as it makes its way out into the world.' - Book Bound. 'Beautiful, moving.' - Daunt Books Summertown. 'The novel is predominantly a love story; however, the romance is embedded cleverly in a much broader narrative that examines race, identity and the quest for freedom. This book was incredibly emotional, compelling and very multifaceted. It's beautifully written and so very readable despite the heavy topic. It appears as a love story and delivers so much more with themes of love, identity, race, and the desire and courage to fight for what is right. I can't wait to see more from Tammye Huf in the future as this was a really strong debut.' - The Feminist Nook. 'This book totally consumed me for the entire weekend and I could not put it down until I... knew how it was going to all come together. I found myself at times both angry and sad for the lives these characters were living. I went on quite the Google-fest after I had finished to appease my thirst for more historical knowledge. This is a... moving must-read.' - Secret World of a Book 5 Star Review. 'The stirring attraction between [Henry and Sarah] is palpable. The couple is in an excruciating situation, their complex personal conflicts evoked with shattering clarity. Both their voices are conjured with brilliant authenticity and their story builds to an agonisingly edgy crescendo as the risks they take are as immense as their love. I cannot recommend this enough.' - LoveReading UK. 'A More Perfect Union is a captivating and highly-charged love story: that Henry and Sarah try and find a way to be together against all the odds-and laws of the time-clearly demonstrates the depth of their feelings, as well as the trust and belief they have in each other.' - Nut Press

'Powerful and convincing.' - The Sunday Times; 'Ambitious, sweeping, unafraid of acknowledging the complexity of the times and guaranteed to leave you welling up, this is storytelling at its finest.' - Francesca Brown, Stylist; 'Amidst hunger, deprivation and the whimsical cruelties of slavery, two people dare to steal happiness. This graceful, assured debut novel creates an unusual slave narrative that starts in potato-famine Ireland and deftly weaves a touching American love story. The deceptively easy prose bristles with danger and possibility and I loved the at once thrilling and gentle pace of the novel. Tammye Huf is a wonderful storyteller.' '- Marina Salandy-Brown; 'A resonant and topical love story, intricately plotted and compellingly told, and a visceral exploration of what it means to be deprived of one's freedom. The stories of Henry, an Irish immigrant escaping the Great Famine, and Sarah, who is sold into slavery on a southern plantation, poignantly illustrate the dehumanising experience of being deprived of choice, in small ways as well as large, on a daily basis.' - Umi Sinha; 'A riveting love story across the challenges of race and poverty... Huf's delicate blend of passion and compassion is compelling, impressive and never sentimental.'- Andrea Stuart; 'Here is a detailed, complex and beautifully drawn portrayal of a relationship tied down with complexities and opposed from all sides. Each individual story, each character, each carefully placed word within this web of beautiful prose, provides strength to it's authenticity and power. It is a story of the greatest adversity and the struggle of love in the darkest of times. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have had the chance to read this book. Tammye Huf, your book is a triumph and I wish it every success as it makes its way out into the world.' - Book Bound; 'Beautiful, moving.' - Daunt Books Summertown; 'The novel is predominantly a love story, however, the romance is embedded cleverly in a much broader narrative that examines race, identity and the quest for freedom. This book was incredibly emotional, compelling and very multifaceted. It's beautifully written and so very readable despite the heavy topic. It appears as a love story and delivers so much more with themes of love, identity, race, and the desire and courage to fight for what is right. I can't wait to see more from Tammye Huf in the future as this was a really strong debut.' - The Feminist Nook; 'This book totally consumed me for the entire weekend and I could not put it down until I...knew how it was going to all come together. I found myself at times both angry and sad for the lives these characters were living. I went on quite the Google-fest after I had finished to appease my thirst for more historical knowledge. This is a...moving must-read.' - Secret World of a Book 5 Star Review; 'The stirring attraction between [Henry and Sarah] is palpable. The couple is in an excruciating situation, their complex personal conflicts evoked with shattering clarity. Both their voices are conjured with brilliant authenticity and their story builds to an agonisingly edgy crescendo as the risks they take are as immense as their love. I cannot recommend this enough.' - LoveReading UK; 'A More Perfect Union is a captivating and highly-charged love story: that Henry and Sarah try and find a way to be together against all the odds-and laws of the time-clearly demonstrates the depth of their feelings, as well as the trust and belief they have in each other.' - Nut Press

'Powerful and convincing.' -The Sunday Times; 'Ambitious, sweeping, unafraid of acknowledging the complexity of the times and guaranteed to leave you welling up, this is storytelling at its finest.'-Francesca Brown, Stylist; 'Amidst hunger, deprivation and the whimsical cruelties of slavery, two people dare to steal happiness. This graceful, assured debut novel creates an unusual slave narrative that starts in potato-famine Ireland and deftly weaves a touching American love story. The deceptively easy prose bristles with danger and possibility and I loved the at once thrilling and gentle pace of the novel. Tammye Huf is a wonderful storyteller.' '-Marina Salandy-Brown; 'A resonant and topical love story, intricately plotted and compellingly told, and a visceral exploration of what it means to be deprived of one's freedom. The stories of Henry, an Irish immigrant escaping the Great Famine, and Sarah, who is sold into slavery on a southern plantation, poignantly illustrate the dehumanising experience of being deprived of choice, in small ways as well as large, on a daily basis.' - Umi Sinha; 'A riveting love story across the challenges of race and poverty... Huf's delicate blend of passion and compassion is compelling, impressive and never sentimental.'- Andrea Stuart; 'Here is a detailed, complex and beautifully drawn portrayal of a relationship tied down with complexities and opposed from all sides. Each individual story, each character, each carefully placed word within this web of beautiful prose, provides strength to it's authenticity and power. It is a story of the greatest adversity and the struggle of love in the darkest of times. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have had the chance to read this book. Tammye Huf, your book is a triumph and I wish it every success as it makes it's way out into the world.' - Book Bound; 'Beautiful, moving.'- Daunt Books Summertown; 'The novel is predominantly a love story, however the romance is embedded cleverly in a much broader narrative that examines race, identity and the quest for freedom. This book was incredibly emotional, compelling and very multifaceted. It's beautifully written and so very readable despite the heavy topic. It appears as a love story and delivers so much more with themes of love, identity, race, and the desire and courage to fight for what is right. I can't wait to see more from Tammye Huf in the future as this was a really strong debut.' - The Feminist Nook; 'This book totally consumed me for the entire weekend and I could not put it down until I...knew how it was gong to all come together. I found myself at times both angry and sad for the lives these characters were living. I went on quite the Google-fest after I had finished to appease my thirst for more historical knowledge. This is a...moving must read.' - Secret World of a Book 5 Star Review; 'The stirring attraction between [Henry and Sarah] is palpable. The couple are in an excruciating situation, their complex personal conflicts evoked with shattering clarity. Both their voices are conjured with brilliant authenticity and their story builds to an agonisingly edgy crescendo as the risks they take are as immense as their love. I cannot recommend this enough.' - LoveReading UK; 'A More Perfect Union is a captivating and highly-charged love story: that Henry and Sarah try and find a way to be together against all the odds-and laws of the time-clearly demonstrates the depth of their feelings, as well as the trust and belief they have in each other.'-Nut Press

Ambitious, sweeping, unafraid of acknowledging the complexity of the times and guaranteed to leave you welling up, this is storytelling at its finest.'-Francesca Brown, Stylist

Author Information

Tammye Huf is a teacher, translator and copywriter. She was runner-up in the 2018 London Magazine Short Story Prize and has stories published in Diverse Voices Quarterly, The Penmen Review and elsewhere. Born in the US, she moved to Germany and now lives in the UK in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

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