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Page Two

Gabriel, who had uncovered a cache of army uniform buttons that Abraham Pearl had secretly left for him, was able to take on commissions from the military in his spare time, and put away the money thus earned. In addition to the secret side business, Gabriel and his mother found other ways to add to their income. Annie became a laundress, and when they hid a runaway slave named Mary, she, too, joined in the work. They worked hard to build up their clientele, and saved every penny they made.

Before long, Gabriel’s sister, Ellen, was sent to help them. Ellen’s specialty was fine embroidery, and she was soon doing linens and delicate undergarments for the ladies of Washington. She brought with her an adopted daughter, Delia.

As soon as they could, the Coats family bought its freedom from Ridley. He agreed to keep them on in the shop, with no pay beyond the roof over their heads. But he did agree that they might support themselves with any extra work they could do aside from the regular business which his nephew oversaw.

When word came that the slaves in the District of Columbia had been officially freed, the government offered their masters financial compensation. By then, Gabriel was married, and although he and his mother, wife and sister had been “bought free” long before, Ridley demanded that Gabriel match the government’s compensation money for Gabriel’s three little girls, as well as Ellen’s adopted daughter. Gabriel, caught in a desperate bind, allowed Ridley to claim Ellen’s daughter in exchange for not pressing his (illegitimate) claim to Gabriel’s daughters. Sewing Annie and Ellen then cleverly arranged for Delia’s escape to the north.

Life can be changed in the blink of an eye by an unforeseen occurrence, and this story ends in just such a fashion. In a two word sentence, everything that has unfolded is abruptly cut off, and the ensuing ten pages are in essence a dirge, but a dirge that is not without hope.

The title, “Stand the Storm,” comes from an old spiritual, the first verse of which is:

“Oh! stand the storm, it won’t be long.

We’ll anchor by and by.

Stand the storm, it won’t be long.

We’ll anchor by and by.”

Beyond the particulars of this plausible and very moving story is Clarke’s ability to describe vividly the horrors of slavery, and to express the profound courage of those (both black and white) who struggled to end it. Hers is a rich, potent voice, one we hope to hear often in the years ahead.

— JS

And Consider This

From Seniorwomen.com columnist Joan Cannon, a new novel:

This engaging romance will speak to those of us who have lived through a few heartbreaks and recoveries of our own. It is the story of Ruth March, a young woman who grew up in coastal Maine, and Alex Duchamp, a French Canadian orphan possessed of blinding good looks. In telling of their courtship, marriage, and consequent difficulties, Cannon provides each of them with a many-layered, interesting back-story that helps us to understand why they behave as they do en route to understanding themselves and each other.

Ms. Cannon brings her story to life with careful attention to the details of the landscapes, seasons, and wildlife that surround her characters. Her talent for evoking the physical world is considerable.

— JS

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©2008 Joan L. Cannon, John Malone and Julia Sneden for Seniorwomen.com