WESTLAND (Essie’s Roses Book 2) by Michelle Muriel - On Sale Now!
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I am happy to at last shout Westland (Essie’s Roses Book 2) is on sale now. Available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound and more. Visit my website for the links to buy: www.michellemuriel.com
*Thank you for making Westland a #1 Amazon Kindle Hot New Release and an Amazon bestseller!*
Visit me on Facebook to celebrate Westland’s launch, watch and share the book trailer, spread the news, learn about the history behind the book, and enter for your chance to win a copy of Westland and Essie’s Roses!
One of my favorite quotes from Westland is from Delly. “Sometimes, it’s not the family we’re born into, it’s the family that finds us, the ones who save and care for us.”
Set during the Reconstruction Era post Civil War, Westland is a moving, gripping historical novel about family secrets, forgiveness, and the meaning of home. It is also a story about an unlikely family, one I hope finds its way into your hearts because it certainly has mine.
“Sometimes, it’s not the family we’re born into, it’s the family that finds us, the ones who save and care for us.”
About Westland:
From bestselling author Michelle Muriel comes the sequel to the #1 bestseller Essie’s Roses, set during the Reconstruction Era post Civil War, Westland is a moving, gripping historical novel about family secrets, forgiveness, and the meaning of home.
Evil men wait a lifetime to get even.
On an Alabama plantation before the Civil War, two little girls find freedom, Evie the planter’s daughter and Essie Mae, a slave. Now, women, divided by the aftermath of war they must find their way back home.
Alabama, 1866. The Civil War’s aftermath tests family bonds as the women at Westland: Miss Katie, kind mistress and heiress, Evie, her daughter, Essie Mae, an intelligent freed slave, and Delly a former slave and Westland’s sassy matriarch, confront the mysteries and secrets of Westland’s past to hold on to freedom and each other.
As Rebel fires and lawlessness rage in the South, Evie and Essie Mae return to the home of their troubled pasts: Westland, an unproductive plantation. With a new vision, renewed hope, and the tranquility of Miss Katie’s secret garden, they learn to dream again, but a mysterious stranger from Westland’s past threatens to tear them apart. Delly warns unearthing family secrets may do it for them.
When Evie’s stepfather James receives letters threatening Westland and Essie, he will move heaven and earth to keep Evie and Essie safe with a surprising twist he prays will usher in the true freedom they all deserve. Westland is an unforgettable, moving novel about the power of forgiveness, the families we create, and the consequences of the secrets we leave behind. One woman will pay the ultimate sacrifice as the women at Westland learn: freedom isn’t free.
Praise for Westland!
“Flowers bloom and families split apart in this sequel to Muriel's historical fiction debut. The characters of pre–American Civil War era Essie's Roses are back in Westland, an Alabama plantation where the ‘willows hold secrets, until the night air sweeps through their leaves, scattering them in the wind and into our ears.' The novel explores themes of forgiveness, freedom, and found families through the voices of diverse women: Katie, Evie, Essie Mae, and Black matriarch and housekeeper Delly. The multiple perspectives put the focus on what is perhaps the novel's most complex character—Westland itself—and its essential nature. Questions of what it means to be free and independent as a woman, and especially as a Black woman, are addressed with nuance and care through Evie's and Essie Mae's voices. . . . the plot is skillfully structured, with dramatic truths revealed unexpectedly. An often engaging look into the complex history of the American South.” — Kirkus Reviews
I took a trip down memory lane, honored and humbled by those first reactions to my debut novel, Essie’s Roses. This is one of my favorite bits of encouragement from a reader because I truly hope Westland (Essie’s Roses Book 2) can be another imaginative escape for my readers.
Essie Mae and Evie have taken me on a beautiful journey. I have you to thank. I poured my heart and soul into Westland, a novel I hope will stay with you long after the last page. A story that reminds us of the beauty and treasure in the families we create, the power of forgiveness, the precious gift of freedom, and the meaning of home.
Watch & Share the Book Trailer!
Visit me on Facebook to watch and share Westland’s book trailer. You can also view it here:
MichelleMuriel.com
Big thanks for sharing the video with your fellow book lovers, book groups, and book clubs on social media. Enjoy!
A new year, a new book. I’m so grateful for your readership. Here’s hoping your 2022 is off to a terrific start. I can’t wait for you to read my new novel.
