An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody

It is estimated that 3 million men fought in the American Civil War.
Over 600,000 soldiers were foreign-born immigrants.
58 were Asian Americans.
This is the story of one.

Winner, INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDS, Multicultural Fiction, 2021

Finalist, WISHING SHELF BOOK AWARDS, Adult Fiction, 2020

COLD MOUNTAIN meets The Color Purple!

An epic American Civil War literary saga that explores the intimate relationships between folk of diverse cultures during an era of suffering and hate; spanning cultures, continents, and generations. Narrated in the Antebellum tradition.

Shay is an orphan. A young Asian boy with no link to his past – except for a mysterious jade amulet – and no idea what fate has in store for his future. Not until an American merchant captain raises him to be a man, who becomes a valiant Union Army scout during the height of the American Civil War.

Across the oceans, a young girl is ripped from her African homeland and tossed aboard a ship set sail for America. She is sold to an Alabama plantation like livestock; her name, her identity, and her life are stripped from her. Now, she is considered nothing more than a slave.

When their two paths cross ten years later, they immediately intertwine, driven by a connection so strong it could only be forged by destiny. But love is forbidden, and darkness surrounds them. Written in the Antebellum tradition with spoken dialects characteristic of the period. The reader is invited to view the perspectives of each character and the decisions they make, leading to life, love, or loss.

"My books are about the reality of life and death, joy and pain, victory and defeat. Through it all, I aspire to reveal the power of love." - C.J. Heigelmann, 2020