Set in colonial times - or in other words - a time when slavery was okay and widely accepted in America, this novel explores the love story between Dago and Anna. A love story that, according to the times, was never meant to be.
Dago is a slave on one of the many cotton plantations in South Carolina - but he is not like the rest. He is a wild spirit, often speaking out against his masters and inciting rebellion. However, his masters never whip him more often than the rest, or rather kill him, for he is one of the best cotton pickers of the time, picking hundreds of seeds more than the the other slaves per hour.
Anna is the daughter of a cotton plantation owner, subsequently the same owner that Dago works under. Ever since she was a child, she wasn't like the rest of the white folk of the time. She dislikes the idea of slavery, and thus often helps out the slaves on her plantation as much as she can. She acts as their friend and confidant - but this often causes her trouble, and cruel ridicule from her friends and family.
When these two meet, will the love that sprouts between them be able to last? Or be teared down by immense racial barriers and class restrictions? Can it stand the test of time?
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]