Necessary Sins

Lazare Family Saga, Book 1

by Elizabeth Bell

Narrated by Dallin Bradford

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Pub Date May 12 2022 | Archive Date Nov 02 2022

Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction

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Description

In 19th-century Charleston, a Catholic priest grapples with his secret African ancestry and his love for a slaveholder’s wife.

Joseph Lazare grows up believing his black hair and olive skin come from a Spanish grandmother, and he’s shocked to learn she was an enslaved African. At 13, Joseph allows racial prejudice to limit his future and chooses the seminary. At 23, he is ordained “a priest forever”.

When he meets Tessa Conley, a devout Irish immigrant who shares his passions for music and botany, Joseph’s ordered world cracks at its foundation. He must conceal his true feelings as Tessa marries another man—a plantation owner who treats her like property.

Acting on their love could ruin Joseph and Tessa in this world and damn them in the next. Can two broken people heal each other and find heaven on earth—or will there be hell to pay?

Necessary Sins is the first book in the Lazare Family Saga quartet. If you like character-rich dramas, vivid period detail, and heart-wrenching choices, then you’ll be swept away by this epic series, perfect for fans of The Thorn Birds and Outlander.

In 19th-century Charleston, a Catholic priest grapples with his secret African ancestry and his love for a slaveholder’s wife.

Joseph Lazare grows up believing his black hair and olive skin come...

Advance Praise

"""A feast of a novel... Haunting, meticulously researched, and exquisitely told through characters so human you'd swear they have beating hearts."" - Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House

""From the ashes of rebellion to heart-rending forbidden love, Necessary Sins is a work of art. Bell's voice is a refreshing addition to the genre, and the breadth of her research is impressive. A strong start to a promising series."" - Jessica Cale, bestselling author of Tyburn

""A taut, compelling family drama with a fresh and intriguing setting. Necessary Sins will be a welcome read for fans of historical fiction."" - Olivia Hawker, internationally bestselling author of The Ragged Edge of Night

""This is an exceptionally well-written and well-researched book, the kind that surely took decades to weave together. And the reader is the beneficiary. ... The author makes one feel as if they have been transported in a time machine..."" - Camille Di Maio, bestselling author of The Beautiful Strangers

""A gripping family saga with complex characters, Necessary Sins is lushly detailed and beautifully written. I look forward to following the fortunes of this antebellum family in future volumes."" - Susan Higginbotham, author of The First Lady and the Rebel

""Elizabeth Bell is one of the most promising new voices in historical fiction."" - Nicole Evelina, USA Today bestselling author of The Guinevere's Tale Trilogy

""In this carefully researched historical novel Bell examines the way race, religion and class weave a web that Joseph Lazare may never escape. A thoughtful, vividly imagined and engrossing historical novel, highly recommended."" - Sara Donati, internationally bestselling author of The Gilded Hour

""Necessary Sins is a rare breed of book, invoking family epics of the past such as The Thorn Birds... [Elizabeth Bell] renders a vivid world that truly feels like stepping back in time. ... Extremely highly recommended."" - Historical Novels Review"