All We Were Promised is debut novel that takes place in pre-Civil War Philadelphia. During this time Philadelphia was almost a border city between the North and the South. The story follows three black women during a time of protests and riots alongside political abolition. The story is filled with family secrets, themes of friendship, class, and identity. I haven't read many historical fiction novels that take place during this time period, and Lattimore made me want to learn more. Highly recommend for historical fiction lovers.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was an inspiring story about what people went through for freedom. Set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a free state, the story explores the levels of freedom and what people will do to achieve it.

This was a good read. This is a story about civil rights in Philadelphia and the odd chasm between those Blacks who have, those who have not, and those in-between. Nell and Alex part of the moneyed Black elite in Philadelphia. They think they are doing what they can for abolition until they meet actual runaway slaves forever looking over their shoulders. Charlotte finds herself in an odd position as the daughter of a runaway slave who masquerades as a white man whose furniture business has found its way into upper crust circles. She is darker than he is, so she acts as his house girl.
All these lives intertwine in the midst of a fight over right and wrong. The characters are true throughout and the plot is full and compelling. I enjoy historical fiction, especially when I learn about eras that are often overlooked. The descriptions had me googling different areas of the city and historic buildings. The book was halfway over by the time they got to the real business of the book.
Nicely done. I was given a prepub copy of this book for my honest review.

This book was beyond phenomenal. I was truly stunned at the writing, the plot, the history. It’s an easy 5 stars and I can’t wait to share the review with my followers!

A wonderful, engaging read. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep going to see what was going to happen. The characters were strong empowered women who helped each other despite the trouble they could have gotten into. I enjoyed this novel so much and learned a lot about abolitionism in Pennsylvania. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This was an excellent read!
I learned much from this novel that I had known about before.
I finished this book in a couple of days because I wanted to savor it.
Wonderful characters and plot.

A good historical fiction story of slavery, abolitionists and the pre/Civil war. The dangers, the friendships, the loyalty and human compassion in this time of divide.

I really like historical fiction and the setting of this book was a much different time period for me. I really liked reading the different perspectives of the main characters and learning their stories and how they connected to each other. Highly recommend for any love of historical fiction especially American history.

All We Were Promised was an excellent debut. I fell in love with Nell, Charlotte and Evie.! They were amazing characters that swept me into their lives. Nuanced, believable and fierce! Full review to come! Highly recommend.

This one moved at a very slow pace. I had a hard time getting invested in the story, as it was moving sooooo slow. It did pick up a little bit, but not enough to gain my interests. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.

This is a fascinating story about three young Black women in 1837 Philadelphia. If you are interested in pre-Civil War abolitionists and strong female characters, this is a book for you.

Nell is intelligent and forward-thinking, born free in a wealthy family, she is determined to make a difference in the abolitionist movement, but doesn't really grasp what those raised as slaves go through. I thought Nell showed the most growth throughout the story.

Charlotte is a runaway slave, living free for the past 4 years as a housemaid for her father, who is passing as a white well-to-do furniture maker. She wants more from her life and befriends Nell, envisioning lifting herself up in an educated Black society and using her skills as a seamstress to start a career. She does not tell Nell that she is a runaway which affects their friendship in several ways. I felt sorry for Charlotte because of the way her father treated her; everything he did came across as selfish.

Evie is a bit younger than Nell and Charlotte; she's a slave from the same plantation that Charlotte and her father escaped from and is eager to escape herself. Brought to Philadelphia by her mistress, she has a chance encounter with Charlotte at a local market. Evie was heartbroken when Charlotte left, but now she's just angry about it. Evie definitely holds a grudge and was very immature, but she was also 16 years old and left behind with an airhead who truly thought her slaves were her friends.

Nell and Charlotte work together to try to help Evie escape before she is sent back to the South. They encounter multiple challenges such as Charlotte's father forbidding her to leave the house, the white female abolitionists reluctance to do anything requiring actual action, and race riots surrounding the opening of an abolitionist meeting place for a large gathering of abolitionists from multiple States.

There are strong side characters, most notably Alex, Darcel, and Hetty. You can tell the author spent a lot of time on research and it shows in the thoughtful and strong way the story is presented. I had no idea about the legal loopholes that existed for slave owners traveling into the North or the six-month rule.

All We Were Promised is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the impact of Pennsylvania’s ever changing laws surrounding the freedom and protection of its darker-hued (Black) residents and treatment of refugees (persons seeking freedom from bondage), and those who had fled slavery and integrated into Philadelphia society. These three scenarios are examined in the lives of Nell, a daughter of the Black elite, Evie, a visiting enslaved person, and Charlotte, a runaway, who guards her life and her secret for obvious reasons. Set in Philadelphia, the cradle of Democracy, it examines how the government has failed its citizens; how “we, the people'' clearly did not include everyone. Hence the novel’s title references the failed promises of the Founding Fathers to ensure all citizens had equal rights and protection under the law.

Our characters suffer through overt bigotry, racism, violence. They watch as the few rights they have are threatened: the right to free speech as abolitionists, the Black man’s right to vote, re-enslavement by unscrupulous slave traders, etc. Not only is racism prevalent, but the issues of colorism surface as a means of survival, gaining access, and benefiting from the privilege it brings to those who can “pass” (for White). We learn the difference between those who support the movements in theory and those who truly believe in the cause and evoke the true meaning of activism and sacrifice. This is history molded into palatable plotlines that seemingly reflect the varying and conflicting opinions of vying groups, the leadership of the time, and the political climate preceding the American Civil War. The balanced pacing makes this a fairly quick read.

Thanks to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

All We Were Promised is the story of 3 women in pre-Civil War Philadelphia: Nell, a wealthy Black abolitionist; Charlotte, an escaped slave; and Evie, brought to the city by her current enslaver. I haven’t read much set in this era and will likely seek out more stories now. I liked how the author weaved together various viewpoints, and how the women worked toward a common interest. Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC! #bookstagram

This story offers the reader different views of freedom: one from Carrie/Charlotte, one from Evie, and one from Nell. Carrie was a slave on White Oaks planation with her father and other slaves. One night with no warning, her father grabbed her out of bed and fast-walked her into the woods going north as fast as they could. Evie, Carrie's best friend, was left behind. Nell, was a single young black woman in a wealthy family in Philadelphia volunteering as an activist to free all slaves everywhere. Each one had a different idea of what freedom should be.
Carrie become Charlotte when her father was identified as a white man with a black slave. She was not allowed to address as Father, but rather as Master. Both of them were not free people but undocumented blacks. Her father became a successful "white" businessman.
Evie was put into Carrie's old role as the mistresses' maid. The master died and Evie watched her family sold away as the planation failed. She was brought to Philadelphia as part of her mistress' plan to find a new husband with money. Evie heard her mistress say that she would sell Evie to a planation "down south" as soon as she was married.
Nell was a naive young black woman in a wealthy family in Philadelphia superficially an abolitionist going to meeting with like-minded white women who seemed to be using her as a empty symbol. She didn't know.
A crisis occurred that spurred each woman' need for freedom to change instantly and forever.
A worthy book for those who don't know what freedom means when a person didn't have it, one who desperately needed it, and one who thought they knew what it was but didn't until she lost it.
Slow moving at time but hold the course to the finish to gain the most.

This book was incredibly well researched, beautifully written and completely heartbreaking. A look at life in pre-civil war Philadelphia for black women. The three main characters are incredibly well developed - their friendship and bond is incredible. There were many parts of this book that was difficult to read - a part of history that is impossible to understand and accept. However, this story brings together 3 women who risk their lives for what is right. Nell - a wealthy abolitionist, Charlotte escaped slavery in the south and is kept hidden in Philadelphia and Evie, a slave who is desperate to escape before moving back to the South. The story between the 3 women was well done. But I was truly impressed with the research that went into this story. What an important and well written story that needs to be shared more. Living in the Philadelphia area, it was fascinating to read about history that took place in areas that I have grown up around. An overall well done historical fiction book.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This is a pre-Civil War story that switches between the perspectives of three young black women in Philadelphia whose lives are very different but become intertwined. The book started off slow, but it did pick up in the second half. It was a unique glimpse into the time period as far as the plot, but the writing itself didn't pull me into the setting. A good read and well-researched.

The description of this book really hooked me into reading it. However I felt that the pacing was extremely slow in the beginning. Thankfully it picked up towards the middle/end, but it would have hooked me more with a faster pace in the beginning.

3.5/5

This is such a beautifully written story. Yes it's filled with lots of sadness and angst. It has a lot in it that might make you feel uncomfortable. It might even teach you something. It has all the things that I love in a good historical novel. It's emotional. Heartwarming in many ways. The way these women stood together to fight for one of them, and for each other.

This is a story of three women who lived in Philadelphia. One was a socialite. One a run away slave. One wanting to get away from her slave owner. This is each's story. Told from each one. Of their struggles and fears for two and one trying to help as much as she can.

Nell is from an upperclass black family and has never known any kind of hardships in her life. But she wants to help others. She wants to help end slavery and fight for what is right.

Charlotte is a runaway slave who lives in Philadelphia with her father James. She has to pretend. She lives like she is nothing more than a housekeeper while her father pretends to be white and does what he can to make lots of money for them. He has a woodworking business that is thriving because they believe he is a white man.

Nell is a slave who was brought to Philadelphia by her missus to make sure she is comfortable and looks her best. Nell wants to leave. To run. To escape being a slave. When she sees Charlotte at the market she believes she has found a way. Maybe.

While this book takes you on a journey to free Nell you also get a good look at what things happened in Philadelphia back then. The building then subsequent burning of Pennsylvania Hall. A place built by both black and white people to hopefully address many issues. Mainly to help black people get out of bad situations. To be free. To ensure that the laws were upheld.

It makes my skin crawl to think of how human's were consider property back then. How awful that had to feel. Children ripped from their parents to be sold. Parents sold and taken who knows where. What a horrendous time that had to be. I hope that this never happens again to anyone or any race.

This author did an excellent job of making this book feel so realistic. To make you feel what these people felt. These ladies felt. From their excitement to their darkest fears. The race to get back after being held. To be free.... Another good book to learn so much from.

This was my BOTM choice and I'm so glad I chose it. It was also a NetGalley book. Thank you #netgalley, #AshtonLattimore, #RandomHouse, #BallantineBooks, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts.

FIVE big stars and a high recommendation.

Three young women of color find themselves in vastly different circumstances. Nell is the daughter of a well-off free black man. Charlotte is the daughter of a black businessman passing as white. Evie is a slave. With the help of Alex, a journalist and Nell’s finance, Nell and Charlotte work not only to free Evie but to help all the people of color in Philadelphia. There are many setbacks, but the ladies prevail in their belief that all people are equal and all people should be free.. All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore is a nice story of sisterhood and doing the right thing While some of the events were disturbing, the novel was both enlightening and enjoyable.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a book of 3 women, Nell - an upper class black woman who wants to make a difference, Charlotte - a fugitive slave and Evie - a slave. The book takes place in Philadelphia and was very informative. For instance, even though slavery had been abolished in Pennsylvania people still could visit for extended periods and bring their slaves. Although Charlotte has been a fugitive for 4 years she has very little freedom. It was interesting watching her grow as a person. She is very conflicted about what she wants her current life to be and how to deal with the ties to her past. At one point I thought I had the book all figured out, knew where it was going and thought it somewhat predictable. I was totally wrong and there were plenty of surprises that I didn't see coming. I couldn't put this book down and sometimes found it very upsetting. I would highly recommend it.