Yellow Crocus (Freedman/Johnson, #1)

by Laila Ibrahim

Once she opened the door, her life would forever be divided into before and after.

All indentured servants, both European and African, agreed to work off their debt for seven to fifteen years. After that, they were to be released and given five acres of land each, a bushel of seed, and the freedom to pursue their own fortunes in the New World.

In addition, social status for slaves transferred from mother to child rather than from father to child, so regardless of your father’s status, you would be a slave if your mother was enslaved. Those changes in social codes ensured eighteenth-century planters of Virginia a steady supply of workers.

“I do not care if it is the fashion. It is unseemly for a woman of your stature to feed a child. Your heartbreak would only be greater should they die. I know from experience, it is best not to love your children too deeply, as it only causes pain.”

Our forebears were quite clear on the matter: slaves are only three-fifths of a man. They are not entitled to the same rights as Christians.”

romance will not ensure your happiness as easily as the finer things in life.

I want a good man more than I want a good husband.