1833 Brothers & Sisters

 

A peek into the Underground Railroad and the tumultuous period before the American Civil War.

 

In 1833 Philadelphia, the northern states of America were changing, and not everyone was keen on altering the status quo. Black slaves were being freed, and new slaves were no longer allowed.

 

But the southern states didn't always agree. Natives were being thrown out of their homes for living too close to gold, and escaped black slaves were being hunted down. Jesse Eastman controls the affluent Eastman Empire and frees a former slave, his half-sister Georgina. But some family members don't like it.

 

When an estranged brother gets the idea to let a ruthless gang of property buyers initiate a takeover, all hell breaks loose.

 

1833 Brothers & Sisters will pull you into an old western-style family saga, filled with greed, marital love, family conflict, and smoking gun shootouts

My review...

This early 1800’s story of Jesse and Zee Eastman is a continuance of a relatively new series by an author I have read widely. J.A. Boulet and her Olason Chronicles is a favorite historical fiction series of mine. This book from the Eastman Saga is Book 2 of the newer series.

This whole series is a little different than the previous series. There’s no question that the sense of history is always present and the framing of history around the story is accurate as is every book she writes. These families are located near Lake Huron, in upper New York, close enough to Canada that both the US and Canadian history are a part of the story during the end of the Civil War. This book makes us aware of the good things accomplished by the Underground Railroad as well as the good people who made it happen. As you know, slaves were freed, but that was not the case everywhere, no matter the law.

Boulet paints her gripping story of a family and their trials and tribulations, of good times and bad. She builds a beautiful story with characters here just as in her previous series. So, what’s different in this series? I think there is much more family interaction. It is more a story of the characters and their emotions and reactions than it is of their struggles to tame the land and learn to settle in new places. It’s somehow more raw at times. This is more a story of loving and hating, of greed and deceit. It is beautifully written and will keep you turning pages as quickly as you can. It will make you watch with me for Book 3 to be published.

Book 1 in The Eastman Saga is titled “Whichever Way the Road Leads”. I think either book can stand alone but would suggest you read the series in order.  

Read an excerpt... 

Jesse grasped the large oak front door. “You are no longer an Eastman,” Jesse stated angrily. “Get out.”

“I live here too,” Billy stated incredulously.

“Not any longer,” Jesse replied.

“I have my belongings here.”

“I will have the servants collect your belongings and deliver them to you by carriage.”

“You can’t do this!” Billy yelled, indignantly.

“I sure can!” Jesse shouted back, systematically rolling up his sleeves. “I noticed that you signed this agreement today, probably at Bartholomew’s office, and you came here right after. Big mistake, Billy. You are officially estranged from the Eastman Empire as of today. Get out and don’t come back. Your signature officially means nothing as of today.” Jesse straightened his shoulders and braced himself for the physical fight. “We have witnesses to attest to this.” Jesse waved his arms around the room.

Billy’s eyes darted toward the stairs where Zee was watching the entire event unfold, and to the hallway where several servants gathered from the kitchen. Almost ten people stared at Billy, waiting for his next move.

“You always were the one that Father hated,” Billy sneered, hoping that his brother would do something stupid.

Jesse leapt at Billy. The younger brother took a few steps back and narrowly escaped the range of Jesse’s arms.

Jesse came closer and growled in Billy’s face angrily. “If you don’t leave now, I will pick you up myself and throw you out.”

 

TRAILER:  https://youtu.be/4ASTflLvjP4?si=X-NcOZ-LcKKgttO0

 

about J.A. Boulet... 

J. A. Boulet is a passionate historical fiction novelist weaving tales with strong romantic themes. Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in Canada with strong moral convictions, which she has stood behind all her life. Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and progressed to short stories and novels easily. She quickly became a history geek and became fascinated with ancestry and the rough path of immigration. Her university studies ranged from photojournalism to accounting. After decades of working in accounting, J. A. published her first book in 2020 and has since published one to two books annually.

She lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her two sons, a crested gecko, a large Doberdor dog, and a small orchard of fruit trees.

Website: https://jaboulet.ca/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/1833-Brothers-Sisters-Eastman-Saga-ebook/dp/B0FSGYDF5B

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/love_walk_life

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/jabouletauthor/

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@jabouletfiction8059/videos

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242036807-1833-brothers-sisters