Keturah: The Sugar Baron’s Daughters, Book 1

In this first book of the Sugar Baron’s Daughters series, Bergren (Claim) takes readers to 1773 to tell the story of an English heiress who looks to God when suitors pursue her for her estate on the Caribbean island of Nevis. After Mr. Banning dies, his daughters learn that the family sugar plantation in Nevis has not been producing enough to sustain their current lifestyle. Keturah, the oldest, decides she will travel to the island and take care of the plantation herself, reluctantly bringing along her two younger sisters, Verity and Selah. When Keturah’s childhood friend Gray Covington discovers he will be sailing to Nevis on the same boat, he offers to escort them, and the four set off together. Gray’s own future will also be determined by the success or failure of his family’s plantation. At first Keturah shies away from Gray’s help, but the harsh realities of island life—saboteur neighbors, unscrupulous suitors, hurricanes, and emerging family secrets—force Keturah to realize she might need more help than she thought. Through it all, Gray tries to show her how much he’s matured from the casually flirtatious boy she once knew into the focused man now working for his inheritance. Strikingly, the sisters and Gray show a care and familiarity with their enslaved plantation workers that feels incongruous to the time period—a decision Bergren explains in an author’s note—and might be off-putting to some readers. Bergren writes eloquently about colonial life in this enjoyable tale that lays the groundwork for other promising books about these three strong women. [em](Feb.) [/em]