Robinson’s new novel is set in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1889, where Frank Dawson, an outspoken Englishman, has settled after his belief in states’ rights led him to fight for the Confederacy. Frank also believes in civil rights, and as editor of the Charleston News and Courier, he hopes to bring humanity and justice to the New South. But due to a series of family scandals and political events beyond his control, Frank’s paper loses readership and despite writing diligently about questions of freedom, equality, and rights, he’s unable to shape reality to his dreams. Robinson, the author of novels including Sparta and Cost, draws on the lives of her great-grandparents for this moving and thought-provoking evocation of Reconstruction-era America.
