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Historical Fiction, American Civil War
Date Published: September 16, 2025
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July of 1860, as the nation teeters on the brink of war, word comes that her
merchant captain husband, Clifford, has been lost to the Graveyard of the
Atlantic. Rejecting social expectations regarding proper mourning, Abby agrees
to assist in an Underground Railroad operation out of her hometown of
Woolwich, Maine. But an early October winter storm catches Abby and the
fugitive slave family she’s smuggling, and they find themselves snowed
in with Bill Boudreaux, an Acadian trapper and farmer, and two Abenaki
teenagers in the remote Maine wilderness.
The unlikely companions must work together to ensure their survival through
the long, harsh winter and find themselves growing closer, creating an
unexpected family few societies would approve of—and leaving Abby with
what feels like an impossible choice. When spring comes, she will continue her
quest to see the fugitive family safely to Canada. And then, she must decide
where she truly belongs.
About the Author
 Richard K. Perkins was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and grew up in two New
England villages. He is a US Naval Academy graduate, a career naval officer,
and a systems engineer in the aerospace sector. He earned graduate degrees
from the National Intelligence University, the Industrial College of the Armed
Forces, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International
Studies. He has contributed nonfiction columns for The Doctor T. J. Eckleburg
Review and published short fiction in Penn Union. He lives with his wife in
Southeastern Virginia, where he spends his time penning historical fiction.
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