Little Cabin Books LLC publishes cozy, intriguing historical, literary, and young adult fiction that transports readers out of the ordinary into imaginative worlds. A tranquil place of retreat, escape, and wonder. We strive to publish high-quality hardcover, paperback, and eBooks that inspire, educate, and entertain.
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WESTLAND (Essie’s Roses Book 2) by Michelle Muriel
#1 Amazon New Release
Readers’ Favorite Award Winner Best Southern Fiction 2022
Format: Hardcover, Paperback & eBook
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Literary Fiction, Southern Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9909383-6-1 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-9909383-7-8 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-9909383-8-5 (eBook)
Synopsis
From bestselling author Michelle Muriel comes the sequel to the #1 bestseller Essie’s Roses, set during the Reconstruction Era post Civil War, Westland is a moving, gripping historical novel about family secrets, forgiveness, and the meaning of home.
Evil men wait a lifetime to get even.
On an Alabama plantation before the Civil War, two little girls find freedom, Evie the planter’s daughter and Essie Mae, a slave. Now, women, divided by the aftermath of war they must find their way back home.
Alabama, 1866. The Civil War’s aftermath tests family bonds as the women at Westland: Miss Katie, kind mistress and heiress, Evie, her daughter, Essie Mae, an intelligent freed slave, and Delly a former slave and Westland’s sassy matriarch, confront the mysteries and secrets of Westland’s past to hold on to freedom and each other.
As Rebel fires and lawlessness rage in the South, Evie and Essie Mae return to the home of their troubled pasts: Westland, an unproductive plantation. With a new vision, renewed hope, and the tranquility of Miss Katie’s secret garden, they learn to dream again, but a mysterious stranger from Westland’s past threatens to tear them apart. Delly warns unearthing family secrets may do it for them.
When Evie’s stepfather James receives letters threatening Westland and Essie, he will move heaven and earth to keep Evie and Essie safe with a surprising twist he prays will usher in the true freedom they all deserve. Westland is an unforgettable, moving novel about the power of forgiveness, the families we create, and the consequences of the secrets we leave behind. One woman will pay the ultimate sacrifice as the women at Westland learn: freedom isn’t free.
#1 Amazon New Release
Readers’ Favorite Award Winner Best Southern Fiction 2022
Barnes & Noble “Handpicked Favorites You’ll Love”
Top 50 Amazon Bestseller
Praise for WESTLAND (Essie’s Roses Book 2)!
“. . . skillfully structured, with dramatic truths revealed unexpectedly. An often engaging look into the complex history of the American South.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A deftly crafted historical novel, Westland showcases author Michelle Muriel’s genuine flare for originality framed with historical detail and the kind of entertaining narrative storytelling style that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.” — Midwest Book Review
“Emotions are running high from the very beginning . . . the plot of the story is fantastic. It has just the right amount of twists, action, and suspense to keep the story flowing seamlessly.” 5 stars! — Readers’ Favorite
“There’s so much to love about Michelle Muriel’s latest book of fiction, Westland. Muriel’s writing is lyrical, almost musical at times, and she paints a picture of the Old South so rich and lush that readers may fancy that they can smell the roses and feel the electricity of a coming storm. Westland is a richly-layered novel populated with unforgettable and eccentric characters . . . Muriel fans will want a third book in the Essie’s Roses series soon.” — BookTrib
“Flowers bloom and families split apart in this sequel to Muriel’s historical fiction debut. The characters of pre–American Civil War era Essie’s Roses are back in Westland, an Alabama plantation where the ‘willows hold secrets, until the night air sweeps through their leaves, scattering them in the wind and into our ears.’ The novel explores themes of forgiveness, freedom, and found families through the voices of diverse women: Katie, Evie, Essie Mae, and Black matriarch and housekeeper Delly. The multiple perspectives put the focus on what is perhaps the novel’s most complex character—Westland itself—and its essential nature. Questions of what it means to be free and independent as a woman, and especially as a Black woman, are addressed with nuance and care through Evie's and Essie Mae’s voices. . . . the plot is skillfully structured, with dramatic truths revealed unexpectedly. An often engaging look into the complex history of the American South.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The story is full of imagery! Loved that it gave me a sense of being there. Exceptionally written with lots of detail and research to give this tale authenticity for a wonderful historical fiction novel. Highly recommend! 5 stars.” — Bookreporter.com
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ESSIE'S ROSES by Michelle Muriel - #1 Bestseller!
Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner!
Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner Southern Fiction
Format: Hardcover, Paperback & eBook
Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9909383-0-9 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-9909383-2-3 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-9909383-1-6 (eBook)
#1 Amazon bestseller. Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner Best Southern Fiction. A sweeping, moving historical novel set before the Civil War about secrets, freedom, and the power of love.
An award-winning, bestselling historical novel by Michelle Muriel, Essie’s Roses spans twenty years before the Civil War and follows the secret relationships of four women at Westland, a plantation in Alabama.
Essie’s Roses transports the reader into one of the most elegant and horrific times in American history: the Antebellum South. Using historical settings, Michelle takes the reader back in time, crafting characters and resonating themes that stay with you long after the story ends.
A heartfelt historical novel about hope, freedom, and the power of a dream, Essie's Roses is a story we hope you will grow lost in, find inspiration, and learn something new about history and perhaps even yourself. Essie’s Roses goes beyond storytelling and reaches into the heart of everyone who reads it.
#1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller
Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner - Southern Fiction
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Pick
Top 10 Amazon Bestseller
Top 50 Amazon Bestseller
Synopsis
Growing up in the Deep South during the years leading to the Civil War, two young girls find freedom on a hillside overlooking Westland, an Alabama plantation. Essie Mae, an intuitive, intelligent slave girl, and Evie Winthrop, the sheltered, imaginative dreamer and planter’s daughter, strike up a secret friendship that thrives amidst the shadows of abuse.
Told from the viewpoint of four women: Katherine Winthrop, kind mistress and unexpected heiress to her father’s small, cotton plantation; Delly, her sassy and beloved house slave; Essie Mae, her slave girl; and Evie Winthrop, Katherine’s only child, Essie’s Roses tells of forbidden relationships flourishing in secret behind Westland’s protective trees and treasured roses.
After scandal befalls Westland, Evie and Essie, aged nineteen, travel to Richmond, Virginia, to escape their abusive pasts. There, they face the gross indecencies and divisions leading to the War Between the States. Though the horrors of slavery and discrimination prompt action, Evie and Essie’s struggles lie within. The secrets they hold and the pain of the past lead them away from one another and back home again.
A story about a black slave who frees a white woman, Essie’s Roses reveals the innocence of children's friendships, the diverse meanings of freedom, the significance of a dream, and the power of love. In their efforts to save each other, will the women of Westland find the true freedom they desire?
Praise for ESSIE'S ROSES!
"Impressively well written from beginning to end, "Essie's Roses" is an inherently absorbing and skillfully presented read, establishing author Michelle Muriel as an exceptionally talented novelist." — Midwest Book Review
“Michelle Muriel’s tremendously impressive debut centers on the experiences of four remarkable women. A richly moving reading experience.” — Historical Novel Society
“Miss Muriel’s novel is a thing of beauty. Overall, Essie’s Roses will make you laugh and cry, but most of all, appreciate the innocence of children’s friendship. 5 stars!” — Readers’ Favorite
"...all I can say is – wow, what an amazing read. ...I fully expect to see Essie’s Roses on the silver screen someday, but until then I will simply look forward to reading future works by this author. 5 Stars (and then add some more)!" — Feathered Quill
