Serpentina By Kathleen Legeia Davis

Serpentina explores the adventures of slaves seeking freedom and the various roles of whites who attempt to keep them enslaved as well as those who assist in their escape to freedom. The story opens with the birth of a slave woman's daughter who bears a serpent-like birthmark which causes her to be feared by everyone on the Louisiana plantation. As an outcast, the young girl, Serpentina, responds with acts of cruelty which eflect her low self-esteem. After witnessing the sexual abuse of her mother by the plantation owner and the latter's subsequent murder, Serpentina is assisted by the plantation's "Moses" and the latter's brother, Jayson, in her escape to freedom in Canada. On the underground route to freedom, Serpentina's eyes are opened to a brave new world; and in the process, she learns to love others. But most importantly, she learns to love herself as others come to love her. Serpentina chronicles historical events, from 1842 to the outbreak of the Civil War, while it also develops a romantic story about two slaves who grow together and demonstrate how the human spirit can overcome the gravest obstacles. After being pursued by slave catchers, rapists, and murderers, they finally triumph as a unified family in Canada, where they dedicate themselves to educating the other freed slaves who fled there. Serpentina is a must read for everyone who enjoys adventure, intrigue, romance, and historical fiction.