Philadelphia of 1837 was a city of hope for those who were looking for their freedom. It was a city where free blacks built their future, where abolitionists worked together to help those who were trying to escape slavery, and where there were still those who believed that slavery should be allowed. Into the fray of mixed opinions that sometimes ended in violence, Charlotte (Carrie) Vaughn is hiding in plain sight as a runaway slave - as her fair-skinned father, also a runaway but passing as white, makes his way in the business world but protecting Charlotte by telling people she is his maid. As Charlotte tires of the role she has been forced into - the story takes a turn where Charlotte becomes involved in trying to help a friend from her past who has been brought to the city with the Mistress that Charlotte and her father escaped from. While the beginning chapters of the book can be a rather slow build-up - when Charlotte decides to help Evie and involves her friends Nell and Alex - the story quickly becomes more intense with a fast-developing plan that threatens to collapse around them all. Overall, an interesting read with a nod towards historical information. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine, for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #AllWeWerePromised

4.25⭐️

Set in 1837 All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore is a captivating novel that sheds light on the activism, the politics, and the socio-economic and racial divide in the pre-Civil War Philadelphia. Though Pennsylvania was a “free state” with an active free Black community, racial tensions were high, bigotry and rioting prevalent, with laws that protected Southern slave owners passing through. A combination of fact and fiction, the immersive narrative features several prominent activists and abolitionists from that era and references true events like the burning of Pennsylvania Hall ( 1938) by an anti-abolitionist mob. The author is unflinching in her depiction of bigotry, cruelty and racially motivated violence.

The narrative is shared from the perspectives of three women :
Charlotte is a housemaid and former runaway who is forced to hide her truth – a secret that could upend the lives her father has built for himself, though her life is not what would have hoped for in a “free state”. Nell is the daughter of an affluent Black family who is motivated to do more for those in need of assistance. She is disillusioned when she faces resistance while appealing to the Philadelphia Female Antislavery Society to approve a committee that would play a more active role in aiding runaway slaves. Nell and Charlotte are friends but she is unaware of Charlotte’s past. They frequently attend Antislavery Society meetings together– a secret Charlotte keeps from her father, fully aware that he would rather she stay within the confines of their home.

Charlotte is forced to confront her past when she sees Evie, an enslaved sixteen-year-old in Philadelphia with her mistress Kate, in the market. Kate was the wife of the man who owned Charlotte and her father and Evie took Charlotte’s place after they ran away. Evie knows the kind of life that awaits her and is desperate to escape, She approaches Charlotte for help and Charlotte agrees. But Charlotte knows that she alone would not be able to help Evie and enlists Nell’s help to formulate a plan.

Revolving around themes of friendship, sacrifice and courage, this is a thought-provoking story with well-written characters (even the unlikable ones). The romantic track was subtle and skillfully woven into the primary narrative. The author brilliantly captures Nell’s idealism, Charlotte’s vulnerability and Evie’s desperation - three young women from different circumstances with stories that intersect – shared experiences that enable them to gain perspective, face harsh realities and find their own voices. As they embark on their individual journeys, it is evident that the road ahead will not be easy, but we will want them to succeed. I did feel that certain aspects of the story could have been explored further, but, overall I thought this was a promising debut and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

The Author’s Note is well-written and informative and definitely enriches the overall reading experience.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ashton Lattimore has shared a fascinating novel set in Philadelphia just before the Civil War. The story is told by three black women, Charlotte, aka Carrie, who has escaped slavery with her dad, who is currently passing as a white man with her posing as his housemaid, Evie, a slave who has just moved to Philadelphia serving her mistress who was previously very close to Charlotte back on the plantation, and Nell, the daughter of a wealthy black family. I loved the way Lattimore brought each woman to life within these pages, bringing so much empathy to the depiction of what it must have been like to live as a black woman in “free” Philadelphia.
A sincere thank you to Ashley Lattimore for the research it must have taken to share the true history of the black women’s role in the abolitionist movement, the Philadelphia Female Anti Slavery Society, and then the devastating fire at the Philadelphia Hall. Love when authors care enough to educate readers within the context of a story while keeping the reader glued to the story.
I truly came to care about these three women. The challenges faced by Charlotte and Evie were so very overwhelming. Also appreciated how Lattimore used auxiliary characters to highlight the racism, bigotry, and ignorance so very prevalent during the 1830’s. I so wish the last two centuries had encouraged change and acceptance but unfortunately that has not happened.
Many many thanks to Ashley Lattimore, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this peek into history published on April 2nd.

I was so blown away by this story first off, I couldn’t believe that this was the author’s first story because it didn’t seem like it at all. This seems like an author who has written many books. I would love to see more of her works, and I would gladly read them. She did such an excellent job on this story and she draws you into it keeping you there till the end. Secondly, this genre is my favorite the blending of facts and fiction. and I also love historical fiction. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys reading about historical events.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Always great to read historical fiction that takes on a less common time period and storyline - this time pre-Civil War Philadelphia, a city somehow filled with enslaved people despite the fact that slavery had been abolished in the state, due to a legal loophole in Pennsylvania's abolition. A white-passing Black man and his daughter, who have fled their enslavers in the south, set up as a furniture-maker and his maid, but their secrets threaten their livelihoods--and very lives--as they become more and more intertwined in the local community.

With All We Were Promised, Ashton Lattimore takes a fairly unknown part of history and brings it to the forefront with engaging characters and thought-provoking storytelling.

In 1837 Philadelphia, friends Nell and Charlotte are in the middle of a political hotbed. The abolitionist movement is gaining momentum with both prominent Black families and White citizens working together to further the cause. Nell, the daughter of the genteel Gardner family, is attempting to introduce her friend, Charlotte, to the movement and other adjacent organizations. Charlotte is both curious and tentative. She's got a secret life to consider. Not only is she a servant to up and coming furniture maker, Mr. James Vaughn, but she's also a runaway slave now "working" for her white-passing father.

Charlotte mourns the friends she left behind when she and her father fled White Oaks plantation in Maryland. {Side note: I had NO idea there were plantations in Maryland! I thought Virginia was as far north as they went.} After four years, she is surprised to see a familiar face in Philadelphia. What should be a joyful reunion between Charlotte and Evie is tainted with danger. Evie is in town with their former mistress, and Evie wants to escape like Charlotte.

I was blown away by the amount of research that must have gone into this story. I consider myself decently versed in American history, but I learned so much from Lattimore's book. Not only brimming with historical facts, All We Were Promised delicately weaves real historical figures with fully fleshed out fictional characters. I appreciated how the author handled the characters and their growth throughout the story. All We Were Promised reminds us of the bravery and strength of those before us.

Read this if you like:
• Historical fiction
• Female friendship
• Multiple POVs
• Engaging storytelling

Available now! Many thanks to @randomhouse and Ballantine Books for the digital ARC!

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this story taking place in 1837 Philadelphia following three black women - Charlotte, a free woman working as a housemaid working for her white-passing father who escaped from a southern plantation but still lives in fear and doesn't feel free especially with the limitations her father puts on her; Nell, whose family has been settled in Philadelphia for several generations, well-to-do and active in the abolitionist cause; and Evie, Charlotte's friend from the plantation who was brought to Philadelphia with her mistress and wants to escape. All three of their lives will intersect and show three women living and reflecting the different lives that were lived by black people at the time. I did not know there were laws at the time that allowed southerners the option to bring their slaves to free cities as long as they only stayed up to 6 months. The book also covers the many injustices that were done to "free" blacks such as prejudice, kidnapping and taken to the south, and the building and destruction of the Philadelphia center, a site for people to work towards abolition. I also appreciated how the book showed the good lives that black people lived and the communities that were built at the time. The author told an engaging story that highlighted a specific time in history that was new to me.

"All We Were Promised" follows three young Black women in an unusual time and place--1830s Philadelphia, where free and enslaved Blacks mix and mingle. Nell is from a prominent free Black family whose privileges leave other characters aghast. She is free to attend meetings of a women's abolitionist society but wants them to do more than just meet and discuss. Her new friend Charlotte is amazed that Nell is able to attend such a meeting or even that such meetings exist. She and her father are escaped slaves from Maryland. Her father is passing for white while Charlotte is stuck playing his servant. He is not giving her any of the advantages he could, and she is happy to see a different life through Nell. But then her dearest friend from the plantation comes to Philadelphia along with Charlotte's former mistress, the stakes become even higher for Charlotte and her father.

Ashton Lattimer sets her scene well, skillfully creating three lives facing different challenges. Even though Charlotte and her father have made it to the free north, slave catchers can still seize people and send them back to slavery. Abolitionists face tough odds and were not popular as even this northern city struggled with a variety of feelings about slavery. Al great deal of research went into this novel, the kind of research that will make readers eager to learn more about the book's events.

The uneven pace cost "All We Were Promised" a star from this reviewer. Hang with the story and read the author's notes. This is a worthwhile experience.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Historical fiction is one of my preferred genres, but I haven't read a lot in the pre-Civil War era dealing with the anti-slavery movement, so I had a lot to learn. Luckily for me, Lattimore is an excellent teacher. Her research was excellent, and her ability to weave several stories together to form a cohesive unit was impressive. At several points I had to remind myself to breathe as the action got intense. And the descriptions of the cooking! I've been craving biscuits for days now just off that part of the story, but there are no good ones to be had here, so I'll have to just wait this craving out. An excellent debut.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

All We Were Promised is a must read for your spring reading lists. It was pure pleasure to read even though the subject matter is about slavery and the trauma is caused its victims. It takes place in Philadelphia where the civil war has not broken oyt yet but there is still the ability to own slaves. The three main characters of the book are Nell, Charolette, and Evie. Each character is complex in who they are deal with their life sitaution to protect there place in society whether is be a good or bad position so long as it doesn't get worse. Imagine living under those pressures and then have to deal with an approaching war. People in these situations turn on survival mode which can have deadly consequences. I really hope this books finds a wide audience and becomes a book club favorite. There is a lot to dicsuss but as stated previously as heavy as the story is it will inspire great conversation about America's past and how we must never excuse the behaviors and try to be better humans by learning from our past mistakes. Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the read.

This was an educational yet entertaining read. I find myself enjoying historical fiction more than I have in the past, especially when the author does their research into events and tries to stay as close to the truth as possible. The author definitely did that here. I enjoyed reading her notes after the book to discover her inspiration for this novel.

This story is told from three points of view - Charlotte, Nell, and Evie. These three women have different lives, but they all have something in common: they want to see black people treated better and eliminate slavery. Charlotte and Evie were both slaves on the same plantation before Charlotte and her father escaped. It is by chance that they run into one another in Philadelphia. Nell is a free woman but has compassion for the enslaved and wants to do more than just raise money and sign petitions. She wants to take action.

I was drawn into each woman's story. While living different lives, they wanted more from life. Each woman has their own struggles. Nell thinks she doesn't want to marry anyone; however, her longtime friend across the street is becoming more appealing. Charlotte lives as her father's maid since he can pass for a white man, but this situation is fraught with its own issues, hampering Charlotte's dream to become a seamstress and dressmaker.  Evie is now the personal maid for Kate, Charlotte's old position before she left, and wants out more than anything.

The journey these women are on is not an easy one. Emotions run high, there is impatience, and some actions by certain characters could end badly for everyone. The story did start a little slow, but it picked up the pace about halfway through when situations were heating up. I enjoyed watching the characters grow, mature, and discover their truer selves.

We give this book 5 paws up.

All We Were Promised details the plight of escaped slaves trying to start a new life. While things are better now that they are free, there are still a lot of troubling aspects to work through. They have taken careful steps to disguise their past but their secret is in a constant threat of being uncovered. Between new friends and old ones, they work through tumultuous times. The stress they were under is extraordinary. The story is interesting, engaging and well written. It is set in 1837, however I felt as if I were reading something set in a more modern time so it didn't quite feel like the historical fiction that I was looking for. Overall though, it was definitely worth reading and I enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine Books for the ARC!

The story takes place in the mid 1800’s at a time when race riots and attacks on abolitionists were commonplace. Charlotte is a runaway slave living with her father who passes for white. Nell is part of the elite black society and Evie is a slave wanting freedom. It was so interesting to see the divisions within these women. Even in a state supposedly free, there were still slaves. The fear of these black women really got to me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The 1837 time period and Philadelphia setting is history that is seldom taught.
The three Black women in the story allow the reader to see very different stories and lives lived during this period .

Charlotte who escaped slavery in the south, is in another type of nightmare with her white passing father. Nell on the other hand is from a well to do Black family. The two join forces to rescue Evie who has ties to Charlotte’s past and is being kept as a nursemaid.

There is suspense throughout as identities, safety and lives are at risk. Lattimore even adds a fake engagement which I loved.

The story will keep you turning the pages while understanding the significance of Philadelphia in the abolitionist movement. History such as the Philadelphia Female Ant-Slavery Society and the burning of Pennsylvania Hall is too important to be swept under a rug.

Heartbreaking with relatable endearing characters. ALL WE WERE PROMISED has a truly, UNIQUE storyline exploring pre-Civil War Black society in 1837 Philadelphia; -the city that represents the Birthplace of Freedom. This story entails the lives of three Black women; -Charlotte, Nell and Evie, each from varying backgrounds. Charlotte and Nell plan to help youngest girl Evie escape from her white owner. On her own, Evie flees, with Charlotte and Nell only to be kidnapped due to a mixup by hired slave-catchers. You see, there’s a kinship between Evie and Charlotte. Both were slaves on the same southern plantation.. plus another startling secret.. Charlotte’s fathers’ life is at risk if his “secret” is ever discovered. I love how the author wrote with specific detail providing a very thorough look into each of these women’s lives. I never really knew until reading this about the danger in Philadelphia that free Blacks faced. Racial division. Hordes of angry whites protesting abolition including the beatings or deaths of Black citizens. And the real burning of Pennsylvania Hall. Did you know that Black women were key factors in the abolitionist cause and the building of Pennsylvania Hall. What a fascinating debut! I highly recommend it. Ashton Lattimore has also included an authors note detailing the books inspiration and her research. 5 stars — Pub. 4/2/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore is a beautifully written story about life in pre-civil war Philadelphia. Told from the point of view of three women, it explores the differences in the stations of Black people during that time. Nell comes from a prominent family, while Evie is a slave and Charlotte is a runaway slave who’s still living as a maid. When the three women work together to free Evie, they may find more trouble than they bargain for. Very well written and touching, I highly recommend.

What a great debut from Ashton Lattimore, a new voice in historical fiction and one I hope to read more from. All We Were Promised takes place in 1837 in Philadelphia - city of brotherly love and also where ‘free’ blacks can live ‘in peace’. History sometimes forgets that the North wasn’t the Mecca it is often portrayed as in movies and books. Slavery may not have been legal but there was plenty of racism, discrimination and violence to go around. The story focuses on three women with different backgrounds - Charlotte, Nell and Evie and what the abolitionist movement means to each of them. Hard to read at times but also hard to put down. Well done.
“Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review”

Captivating historical fiction based around the lives of three Black women in 1837 Philadelphia. Pre-Civil war Philadelphia is supposedly a slavery - free state. Far from the truth that is. Charlotte and her father James are runaways from Maryland who have settled there for almost four years. James is passing as white and trying to build a successful woodworking business. Charlotte, posing as his black maid, comes across Nell and gets increasingly involved in the fledgling Abolitionist movement. Nell is a Black woman from a prominent Philadelphia Black family who have lived there for generations. Evie, a black slave woman and a childhood friend of Charlotte's is visiting Philadelphia along with her mistress and wants to run away with Charlotte's help. I loved the way the author has deftly woven fiction with historical events and brought history alive in vivid detail. I loved all the characters and the storyline. The author claims to draw inspiration from Les Miserables for the same. It was a revelation that Philadelphia had a substantial Black free population some of whom were very well off and running established businesses. This is a must-read for anybody interested in a very well-researched and entertaining account of the pre-civil war history of the Abolitionist movement and the plight of the people of colour. I really loved it.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Ballantine and Ashton Lattimore for the ARC.

I read this historical fiction novel during Black History Month and during a trip to Philadelphia. It was an enlightening novel about free Blacks living in Philadelphia but still dealing with racism. Seeing some of the places mentioned in the novel while I was in the city really brought the story to life. Even in the North, African Americans were not treated equally.

Ashton Lattimore's novel All We Were Promised, which she wrote during National Novel Writing Month, follows three characters. Nell was born free to a well-off Black Philadelphian family. She's part of women's anti-slavery groups but feels they could be doing more to help enslaved people. Charlotte works as a housemaid for a white man. Except, he's not a white man. He's her father who is passing as white. The two of them ran away from their masters in Maryland and settled in Philadelphia. And Evie is a slave from Charlotte's former plantation. Evie arrives in Philadelphia to accompany her mistress as she searches for a new husband. But Evie doesn't want to return to Maryland or Virginia, where her mistress is going to relocate with her new beau. So after a chance encounter with Charlotte, Evie plans to run away.

Can you imagine living in a city where you're free but treated with contempt from your fellow citizens? Where your place of refuge is burned to the ground? Where you could be kidnapped off the street at any moment and be sent South to become a slave? These questions and more make this novel a great book club read.

All We Were Promised is published by Ballantine Books and will be available to purchase April 2, 2024 (tomorrow!). I received a free e-ARC from the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the ARC.

The story is good, but, oh my, it drags, and drags, and drags ... if something could be told in five words, the author used fifty and then repeated it in every other chapter ... stilted wooden characters ... didn't like them, didn't hate them -- they were just words on the paper.

I give it a 3 stars because, I'm sure, the author spent a lot of time researching her subject matter but her editor should have helped in speeding up the story and cutting back on the repetition.