ARC

Fox Creek

Potential spoilers

Fox Creek is a book set in the mid 1800's in Louisiana. The story starts out with a young girl being sold to slave traders.

She is purchased by a family and eventually learns that she is there to serve them, not to be a sister and daughter.

I like that we follow the different characters in the household, getting different perspectives on their lives. Which does span several years.

For me the middle seemed to drag on a bit without much really going. I found myself putting the story down and wondering when something interesting would happen.

I did enjoy the friendship, if we can call it that, between the main character Monette and the young lady of the house.

I feel that the ending could have been a bit more fleshed out. There are things said earlier in the book I was wondering about. For exmple there is one character who gets their fortune read. Is the ending why those things may come true?

Overall the story was well written. And fairly enjoyable. I did feel pulled into the setting and could feel the humidity and mosquitoes while reading it.

I would read more books by this author in the future.

I loved how the different points of view gave me a deeper look into each character, and their personal struggles really hit home. I laughed, I cried, and I felt genuinely connected to the themes of love, family, friendship, and growing into who you're meant to be. The ending felt satisfying. I was so invested in their journey that I wanted more.

Thank you Sly Fox LLC for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Fox Creek has all the ingredients for a gripping historical novel—slavery, survival, forbidden love, and the haunting legacy of race and privilege in 19th-century America. Unfortunately, the execution doesn't live up to the promise.

The story begins with emotional force: a young girl, Monette, is ripped from her privileged yet fragile life and sold into slavery alongside Cyrus, a boy equally traumatized by loss. But as the novel progresses, what could have been a deeply moving exploration of identity, resistance, and love becomes mired in uneven pacing, shallow character development, and a romanticized lens that often undermines the harsh realities it attempts to portray.

Monette’s internal struggle—her desire to belong in a world that rejects her—is compelling in theory but underexplored in practice. The narrative too often glosses over the brutality of slavery in favor of melodramatic relationships, particularly her entanglement with the planter’s family. Cyrus, initially introduced as an emotional anchor, is sidelined for much of the book, which weakens the emotional core that could have carried the story.

Historical context feels like a backdrop rather than an immersive setting, and while the novel claims to tackle race and privilege, it rarely pushes beyond surface-level commentary. The romantic subplot, which is supposed to be redemptive, leans toward implausibility and makes the ending feel unearned rather than cathartic.

Fox Creek had the potential to be powerful, but its lack of nuance and depth made it feel more like historical fiction lite. For readers looking for a hard-hitting, emotionally resonant portrayal of slavery and resilience, this one may fall short.

Journey to Fox Creek with Monette, the young daughter of a planter and an enslaved woman. Tragedy leads to Monette being sent away from her home into a place and station in life she knows nothing about. While I read through the book quickly and enjoyed it well enough, However, the author's note really gave me pause. At Fox Creek, we meet all of the traditional plantation characters...the loving mammy, the gentle mistress, the angry runaway slave, the voodoo conjure woman. Some of those characters are fleshed out, but most of them aren't. After the author note mentioning the book was started 30 years ago, it did have the feel of similar type books written then. In a story about slavery, we mainly hear from white characters, with the exception of Monette. Even with Monette, we only learn about her white father and know nothing about who her Black mother was. Torrey's note makes me question whether a White woman from the North should be writing a book about a slavery in Louisiana, even is she feels lead to do it. For me it's a case of once you see it, you can't unsee it. Again I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, but I don't know if I would recommend it to a friend.

This coming-of-age story is set on a cotton plantation in antebellum Louisiana and follows Monette, the pampered mixed-race daughter of a plantation owner. Her world is turned upside down when her father dies and she’s sold into slavery. She ends up in the Jensey household as a companion for the family’s daughter, Kate—but as Monette, Kate, and Kate’s brother, Breck, grow up, their relationships shift in ways that are both complicated and revealing.

The setting is incredibly vivid—you can almost hear the buzz of mosquitoes and feel the thick southern heat. M.E. Torrey does a great job capturing the complexities of the time and showing how hard it was for people to find where they truly belonged. The story includes a range of voices, which adds depth to the historical backdrop, and the characters feel real, complete with flaws and contradictions.

The pacing dips a bit in the middle, and the ending feels quite sudden—but overall, this is a powerful, emotionally resonant read that paints a fresh and personal picture of a difficult period in history.

Thank you to M.E. Torrey, Sly Fox Publishing and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

*Fox Creek* by M. E. Torrey is a sweeping work of historical fiction set in late 1700s Louisiana, where the haunting beauty of the Fox Creek Plantation is matched only by the deeply human struggles that unfold there. At its heart is Monette, a mixed-race girl whose life is irrevocably transformed. Though Monette is central, the novel thrives on a cast of richly developed characters, especially the members of the Jenesey family, each wrestling with the tensions between personal morality, societal expectations, and political upheaval. Torrey’s prose is cinematic in its detail and poignancy, pulling readers into a world that feels as emotionally resonant as it is historically grounded. The writing is both imaginative and piercing, laced with reflections that speak not just to the past, but to the ethical dilemmas of our own time. One particularly powerful line declares, “These United States were not formed because we cowered behind locked doors, afraid of our own shadows... Instead, our country was built on the courage and conviction of good men...” This depth of thought carries through the novel’s deliberate pacing, which unfolds like a slow-burning journey—allowing readers time to live inside the story and become invested in the lives of each character. While the plot doesn’t rely on dramatic twists, its carefully layered structure and time shifts make for a richly satisfying narrative. The emotional weight of the book is undeniable; Torrey evokes sympathy, frustration, and quiet heartbreak in equal measure. By the end, I found myself deeply moved—and reluctant to part with the characters. For fans of historical fiction, women’s stories, and American history, *Fox Creek* is a poignant, thoughtful read that lingers long after the final page. I haven’t read Torrey’s other work, but if this novel is any indication, I’ll be seeking it out soon.

Book Review: Fox Creek by M.E. Torrey #CampNetGalley

My sincere thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy (ARC). M.E. Torrey’s Fox Creek is a powerful and emotionally demanding historical fiction novel that tackles difficult, sensitive themes—but rewards readers with depth and resonance.

Set in 1843 on an American cotton plantation, the narrative centers on a young girl sold into the Jensey family. Her initial role as a companion tragically shifts to that of a housekeeper and slave.

Central to the story is the protagonist's deep struggle with identity. Befriended by the white family's daughter, she slowly begins to believe she belongs in their world—mistaking closeness for equality. Influenced by Kate’s affection, she starts to see herself through their eyes, forgetting her past including Cyrus who once promised to take a good care of her. But the painful truth remains, no matter how close they seem, she is still seen as a servant, never an equal. She resists embracing her origins, shaped by the cruelty she faced as a mixed-race child.

The most powerful theme is undeniably the pervasive nature of slavery and racial discrimination, making it a heavy and deeply affecting experience. The story also explores intricate family dynamics, forbidden love (no spoiler allowed!), the desire for belonging, the complexities of ownership, and profound grief.

Torrey's writing is richly detailed, precisely balancing situation and nuanced emotions. Towards the conclusion, I was completely absorbed, moved by its emotional resonance. The characters' sadness, anger, and even hatred were vividly palpable. My only minor critique was the somewhat less fulfilling resolution for Monette and Cyrus.

Despite the initial challenge, the book undeniably evoked a powerful emotional response and left a lasting impression. For readers who appreciate historical fiction with intense emotional depth and strong character development confronting crucial themes, 'Fox Creek' is a highly recommended addition to your reading list.

I found this book to be wonderful. It's wonderfully written, and its characters are wonderfully developed. It's shockingly real, and it's ultimately tragic.

The story begins in 1842 when Monette's French Creole plantation owner father dies, and she is taken from the house to New Orleans to a slave auction. Prior to this, Monette, who is only 6 at the time, had lived a pampered life in the plantation mansion. Not only was she being raised by her white father and his servants, her mother (a slave) was not in her life. Being a beautiful mulatto child, she wasn't accepted by whites or by the slaves. After her father (who doted on her) died, she was looked at as an unnecessary expense.

From the same plantation that day, Cyrus, a big, strapping boy for his age, is taken from his mother, a field hand, and is also sent to auction. Cyrus and Monette bond, and he becomes very protective of her.

Both are purchased by the Jensey family, well to do cotton and later also sugar cane plantation owners. Monette is basically purchased at the request of Kate, the daughter, to be Kate's friend and play thing. Cyrus is purchased at the son's, Breck's, request, but he is to be a field hand.

As the eight years pass, we are shown so many devastating happenings - the turbulence of the country during this pre Civil war time; the hatred and white privilege of the deep South; and the yearning for freedom.

I felt the writing was exquisite and the feelings of smugness, cruelty, and degradation were all heartbreaking. It was, sadly, spot on of most in the antebellum South for the time.

If you love to read about our country's history and enjoy novels with many developed characters and an intricate plot, look for Fox Creek: A Novel that is hitting shelves Sept. 1st. It is an emotional ride that is well worth the read. Thank you, NetGalley and Sly Fox Publishing, LLC, for the opportunity to read this engrossing ARC

I came across this book more or less by chance (and you know how sometimes that’s the best way to find a good read). "Fox Creek" is nearly 500 pages long, and I finished it in just 8 days. A total page-turner by M. E. Torrey, an author I’ve only just discovered and definitely plan to keep an eye on.

"Fox Creek" takes us to mid-19th century Louisiana, a world where plantations were the norm, with all that implies: white versus Black, masters versus slaves, North versus South, hatred versus love... It all begins when Monette, the mixed-race daughter of a plantation owner, is sold into slavery. She’s only six years old when, at an auction in New Orleans, she ends up in the hands of the Jensey family, who have children around her age. There, she becomes a companion to Kate, with whom she’ll share experiences and secrets, and she also befriends Breck, Kate’s older brother.

From there, we get a rich and layered story that uses fiction to explore slavery and the coexistence of enslaved people and their owners. We get to see the lives of both groups, the atmosphere in the fields, developments in production… Nothing’s left out.

One of the things I really liked about the book is that it presents a wide gallery of characters (both enslaved people and white landowners) which helps us see both worlds and where they intersect. For instance, working as a servant in the main house is not the same as working in the cotton or sugar fields. And even inside the house, there are hierarchies: working in the kitchen is not the same as being a personal assistant to the women of the household.

As for the white characters, the author also paints them with nuance. I imagine that, even within such a deeply flawed system, there were those who treated their slaves better (or worse) than others. We meet some deeply unlikeable characters, as well as others with a sense of reason. There’s a bit of everything.

I’d say Kate and Monette are the central figures in the whole book. They’re about the same age, and through their story we see how skin colour sharply determines a person’s fate. The book starts off like a coming-of-age story set by the Mississippi, but evolves into something much more intense, emotional, and full of unexpected turns.

I had to think long and hard about how to give my honest review about this book, and honestly I just couldn't get past the steriotypical thoughts and way of speaking and acting that was assigned to certain characters. I was born in California and raised in Europe with the Military, but I come from a Carolina family who hasn't had a pot to, you know, in since the 1800's. I am ashamed to say that most of the extended families back then were slave owners and were Cherokee themselves, knowing what it was like to be "less than". They treated their " slaves" as friends and family. I just find it hard to swallow stories that aren't proven on their own merit instead of relying on the standard thoughts about the Old South!

This book drew me in immediately. The characters were all beautifully drawn and easy to connect to. The plot, while it did drag a bit towards the middle of the book, kept my attention. I wish there was more closure to some of the characters' story lines and we learned more of their fates - one final chapter set in the future, perhaps. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

“…wondering if life was simply a series of compromises. Dishonest compromises that presented to the world a face of honesty and integrity”

What an excellently written novel! I was completely captured within the first few pages. The characters are richly developed, and the descriptive setting fully immerses you in the time and place. Set on a plantation in the Deep South just before the American Civil War, the story explores the lives of those on the plantation—both the enslavers and the enslaved.

I really enjoyed the multilayered perspective. It gave the novel depth and offered a greater understanding of each character’s thoughts, motivations, and inner struggles. The stark contrast between the often trivial concerns of the landowners and the relentless oppression faced by the enslaved is powerfully captured!

One of the most moving elements appears early in the book—the fear of being sold. Torrey captures the horror of having no control over your life, of not even owning your own existence, from an early age.
That sense of powerlessness lingers in every chapter.

M.E. Torrey’s writing is both sensitive and unflinching, giving voice to those too often silenced in historical narratives.

This is a beautifully written, unforgettable novel.

This book is waaaay too long. There is SO much unnecessary detail and text. It took me too long to realize this, but once I did, I began skimming pages. The description says something about Monette wondering who the guy is who keeps pestering her. I presume the author means, what is Cyrus and Monette's relationship, but once they arrive at the plantation, they have one scene together and Monette never has any men from the fields pestering her. Historical fiction is my preferred genre, and I enjoy pre WWII American history. However, Fox Creek needs some serious editing before it's published.

It's as if 'Gone with the Wind' has come to life with M.E. Torrey saga of the Antebellum South in Fox Creek.

Set in Louisiana across the 1840s and early 1850s, Fox Creek tells the story of Monette, a young enslaved woman sold after the death of her father. Torrey crafts a narrative that unfolds through letters, diaries, plantation records, and fragmented perspectives, centering Monette’s inner strength and resilience as she sustains glimmers of hope through the most harrowing conditions.

She's sold at age 6 and taken to New Orleans, along with her friend Cyrus, where they are taken to the Fox Creek plantation to work for the Jensey family. Cyrus is out working the fields, while Monette is a companion to Kate Jensey, the young daughter.

The author does a great job showing the different perspectives of multiple characters across the racial divide, so you can see how each are affected by the current times. I especially liked how the author focused on the bond between the enslaved women and showed the hardship and daily lives of all in a realistic setting, sparing nothing to capture the physical and emotional landscape of plantation life. There is no romanticization or sensationalism here, as she opts instead for rigor and authenticity. As Monette's life is changed dramatically, she still has glimmers of hope throughout the most harrowing conditions.

It's a deeply moving, unflinching historical novel that will sit with you long after the final paragraph. Torrey reclaims lost voices and confronts injustice in a way that’s intimate, emotionally resonant, and deeply human.

M. E. Torrey's "Fox Creek" offers readers a truly immersive journey into the Antebellum South, painting a rich tapestry of location and characters. The narrative centers around Monette, a "mulatto" slave, and Breck and Kate, the children of a plantation owner, with the character of Cyrus also making a notable appearance in the earlier sections of the book.

One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is its narrative style, which I found to be reminiscent of a captivating television series. The story unfolds with a core cast and a defined setting, presenting a series of events much like individual episodes. These range from the nuanced everyday realities of plantation life and the broader Southern landscape of the 1840s, to moments of intense drama and thrilling tension. Torrey truly excels at drawing the reader into the historical period and, more impressively, into the minds of her characters. Through her vivid descriptions, it feels remarkably easy to visualize and understand, even for a brief moment, what it meant to live their lives. This ability to transport the reader is a significant strength of the book, making it a very lavish read to savor.

However, I must also share a point of personal reflection regarding the conclusion. The ending felt somewhat abrupt and, for me, didn't provide a complete sense of resolution. It left me with a feeling akin to a TV show cliffhanger, eager for more but without a definitive closing point. Additionally, while the initial chapters meticulously provided a month and year, this practice became inconsistent later in the book. Although contextual clues often allowed me to follow the timeline, I personally would have appreciated the consistent dating in every chapter for clarity.

Despite these points, "Fox Creek" is undoubtedly a rich and engrossing read. It's a book to be savored, especially fitting for a hot summer afternoon when you can fully immerse yourself in its detailed historical setting and complex characters. Readers who appreciate vivid historical immersion and a narrative style that feels episodic and character-driven will likely find much to enjoy in M. E. Torrey's work.

This book made me quite uncomfortable with some of the verbage that was used. I know the setting but some of the words that were chosen were unnecessary.

1843. Louisiana. Fox Creek is a cotton plantation and owned by William and Sarah Jensey and they have two children Beck and Kate. Monette is the mulatto daughter of a French Creole sugar grower, she's taken to New Orleans and sold into slavery and with a young boy called Cyrus. Monette becomes a playmate for Kate and she forgets about her former life and the time she spent in the back of a wagon with Cyrus who’s big for his age and he starts work as a field hand.

Monette doesn’t fit in and she's caught between two worlds, she’s called “yellow” and other nasty names by the house servants, and eventually Miss Sarah banishes her to the attic and she’s expected to pull her weight. The girl who was once thought of herself as Kate’s friend and spoke fluent French, now has to line-up with everyone else and be counted morning and night and the harsh reality is she’s a slave.

I received a copy of M. E. Torrey’s debut adult fiction novel from NetGalley and Sly Fox Publishing, LLC in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Fox Creek is a historical fiction saga, set in America's South at a time when it was dependent on slavery as a free source of labour and the narrative looks at this from various points of view.

Many of us have read “Gone with the Wind” and have been lead to believe the pre-Civil War ideal, of genteel planters and Southern belle’s in hoop skirts, sitting around sipping mint juleps, socializing and going to balls.

This is a story about white privileged men and women, who thought it was their right to own another person, coloured people were “ like children”, not smart enough to think for themselves, they treated them well and what more could they want and if they dared do something wrong or runaway they were be whipped and severely punished.

The truth is they were slaves and most lived in shacks hidden away, so the ladies couldn’t see or smell them, in fear of being sold and would never see their families again.

The book takes on a journey and for me it wasn’t a tale about love, about uncovering and exploring the facts and slavery was an abomination, poor Monette didn’t fit in anywhere, everyone deserved to be free, and no person should be owned by another. Five stars from me I highly recommend for readers who enjoy well written and interesting historical fiction.

Fox Creek is a beautifully written yet haunting story that I won't stop thinking about any time soon. It's a gorgeous example of character development and story telling. Although I've read many novels about slavery in the American south, the character development is so well-done that I found myself deeply invested in the lives of the Jensey family, their slaves, and even their friends and neighbors--no small accomplishment considering the large cast of characters in the book.

Even though versions of this story have been told before, this one stood out because of the beautiful writing and attention to detail. This is a book that makes you feel--both joy and sadness--in the way that all good books do. I truly could not put it down and was not ready for it to end. I would happily welcome a sequel.

5 stars!

A very good book. The writing and subject matter kept my attention throughout the book. Very eye opening as to what slavery was like. Some of it quite harrowing. You could tell lots of research went into the writing of this book. The writer was totally immersed into the telling of this book. Will be looking forward to other books by this author.

This book set in the 1840's takes place on a Fox Creek Plantation in Louisiana. Within its pages, the reader gets more than a glimpse of the harshness and brutality of slavery. The protagonists are Monette a young Creole girl and Cyrus, both who are taken from their homes and sold into slavery. For Monette, she becomes a playmate for the plantation's daughter, Kate. Cyrus urged by Breck the plantation's son to buy him, goes into the field. The book is powerful in its telling, as the inequality between the white socialites and the people of color are quite obvious. As you read, you begin to see the build up towards what eventually becomes the Civil War. As the abolitionists speak their mind and the Southerners do not take lightly to the opinions of the Northerners and what they think of the way they live. I highly recommend this novel. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.