Set in the South during the mid 1800’s Thandi’s Love explores the life of cotton plantation owner Tom Lexington. After a particularly generous yield, he asks his Aunt Lacey to send additional servants to help with the harvest. Tom is delighted that his good friends Thandi and Isaac will be coming to stay, the sibling servants he grew up with as a child. He welcomes them with open arms and has … them stay in the mansions guestrooms.However, his frightfully horrific wife Anna soon puts a stop to that saying she will not have slaves staying in the house, which marks the beginning of her callous ways.Following a terrible row between Tom and Anna, Thandi and Tom find themselves alone in the beautifully kept gardens. Soon tender moments lead to passionate lovemaking.With suspicions mounting, Daniel Stafford, Anna’s father, instructs Tom to stay away from Thandi. He also reminds Tom of the past deals struck between them, and that all the plantation’s slaves rightfully belong to him. Stafford takes Anna home for a break, and in their absence he sends his associate Victor to keep an eye on affairs,who in which instantly takes a keen liking to Thandi.With news that his beloved Aunt is dying,Toms pays her a visit and learns a shocking piece of news concerning himself and Thandi. Slowly the facts are revealed. Not only facts of the here and now, but also deep dark secrets from the past…Will Thandi and Tom end up in each others arms? Will Anna and Stafford fight them to the bitter end? … Or will Thandi succumb to the charms of another? Step back in time and take a journey through undeniable love, forever friendships, selfless sacrifices, and unforgettable breathtaking moments that will leave you yearning for more…
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I was delighted to have this novel as a gift in return for an honest review.
This dark romance fiction novel portrays Patriarchy as it intersects with issues of ethnicity, class, and gender.
At the center of the novel is the theme of forbidden love, and the intrigues of the plot will keep you entertained from the beginning through to the ending.
The ambiguity of the ending suggests that we have more to learn about our heroine, “Thandi,” a green-eyed slave beauty, with the triple deficit of being a woman, a mulatto, and a slave. Strong problematizes the “choices” Thandi makes and asks if we are ever in control of our destinies, in the light of ingrained prejudices and inequalities in society.
Although the novel is set in the South of the 1800s, these themes still have a resonance today.
I particularly enjoyed the author’s preoccupation with identity, and characters’ motives, a recurring theme throughout the text, and the depiction of a “family” as a microcosm of society as a whole.
The enchanted garden in the text and the author’s effective use of pathetic fallacy suggests, at times, a return to innocence, perhaps a time where there is no “other” in humankind, and we have at last found our Eden.
On the other hand, man’s pursuit of material wealth and gain is blighted by reversals of fortune, in a harsh world, where man will fight man to gain the “victory” and the prize. It is indeed, only through love that we truly know ourselves.
This novel, from an author with a sense of history and a deep social awareness, is a thought-provoking read and highly recommended.
Tom and Thandi’s taboo affair faces insurmountable obstacles in a time of insurmountable hatred of racial mixing. The love triangle between Tom, Thandi, and Victor is compelling and heart-wrenching, and I rooted for all three to get their heart’s desire. The author crafted this story beautifully, keeping the reader guessing and cheering for three equally lovable and honorable protagonists.
The author has immense talent for this genre. A historical piece filled with a deep understanding of dynamics that take place on a southern plantation between slave-owners and slaves living in close quarters. Sometimes those affiliations grow deep roots of love and friendship that cannot be torn apart by racist hatred.
Tom Lexington, a slave-owner is trapped in a loveless marriage with wicked and jealous Anna. After many years, Thandi Boran, a green-eyed mulatto returns to her childhood plantation a beautiful woman, no longer that knock-kneed girl Tom remembered. Their love is instant and passionate, and Tom is determined to make it work. But his jealous wife will do anything to keep her husband and anything to be rid of Thandi. Underhanded schemes, family secrets, and finally worry for Thandi’s safety throws her into the protective arms of Victor Richmond.
Victor for victorious, redemption, selfless, undying love captured my heart and left me weeping. This story epitomizes life and reminds us we can’t always have what our heart wants, but true love is worth fighting for. If I could give Angel Strong ten stars instead of five, I would most definitely.