Pretty and outspoken, she often alarmed her best friend Amy by expressing doubts - about parents, teachers and, most of all, religion, which according to their strict 1950s Catholic upbringing in Rivington Cross seemed certain, Amy thought, to send them both to Hell. What, after all, was wrong with being a Protestant, Madeleine would ask? Or a Jew? The good-looking boy they both noticed on their way to school was, it was rumoured, Jewish - his family having fled from Poland at the beginning of the war.Father Sheahan, the whiskey-soaked priest from the local church, had discovered that his secret past was catching up with him, and went in fear of his life. Amy, too, had a secret - a secret which caused her to visit the Bell House, an ancient charnel house outside the village. As they grow up, this place of death becomes a meeting place for the friends, who have to learn that differences in religion can cause unexpected heartache.

    Still, she pretends to wear her reputation of a hoyden like a badge of honor.Cheated on and humiliated across every acre of the Ton, Oswald Bristol, the Earl of Tennesley, needs to find a timid wife this time. But relying on a matchmaker seems more than ridiculous to him.Except, an odd thing happens when the man who has spent his life being proper overhears a lady of loose morals calling him a bore. Determined not to let this slight pass, he takes it upon himself to prove her wrong. Even if that means putting her in greater danger than he realizes.

    It is a dark and cruel place for the workers on this farm. The master, Archie McLachlan, causes fear to run through the hearts of the slaves, except for one woman who speaks up deliberately and without fear whenever she wishes. Her name is Soola, and she fast becomes leader of the slaves and friend to the master's wife Gertrude. The friendship forms a triangle of competition, love, and hatred as "Massa Archie" becomes more and more dangerous, even towards his own son Robert and Soola's son John, even to a point where Soola begins to understand the meaning of fear. But, together, the leaders of the second generation can look for a future where hope might overcome fear.Thus, this story, Part One of a four-part series, not only recounts the family's beginnings at the Inveraray/Dogwood Plantation, but also introduces the second generation, who will appear again in the ensuing volumes. Slavery, the corruption caused by slavery, its close companions, race bigotry and injustice, and the laws and bitter politics that result from them, are featured and discussed throughout. While, in the foreground, the unique relationship between mistress and slave and their respective descendants triggers a wide-sweeping story of love, conflict, heartbreak, and forgiveness.

    This study guide includes the following sections: Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

    

    Plough the Furrow begins in 1910. Esther Everatt, shunned by her family and desperate for work and a place to say, finds her way to Sam Brumby's farm. Able to work alongside any man, she earns old Sam's grudging respect. Prepared to risk everything to secure her future, Esther marries a local farmhand. But as war arrives she comes to understand that only the truest of love can survive the passing of the seasons. Sow the Seed follows the story of Kate, Esther's daughter. Kate is determined to marry her childhood sweetheart, Danny. But when she reaches eighteen Kate is told the bitter truth of her family's past and the reasons why marriage to Danny can never happen. Heart-broken Kate witnesses many things amidst the chaos and destruction of WWII, which finally lead her to experience a love that allows her to leave the past behind. Reap the Harvest is set in the aftermath of the disastrous Lincolnshire floods of 1953. Kate's daughter Ella finds herself compelled to live at Brumby's Farm with her grandmother, Esther. This story of love, war, secrets and tragedy seems destined to repeat itself in heartache before coming full circle and bringing this glorious trilogy to a close.

    She lives in a disrepaired ranch in Coleburn with her father and her brother, since a double disaster turned everything upside down: her dearest mother passed away and winter storms wiped out most of their cattle herd. Having to deal with her father's gabling addiction, as well as her brother's irresponsibility, she desperately hopes for things to get better. When a wealthy young rancher offers a helping hand with the critically damaged ranch, she will doubt his true intentions. Will his manipulative behavior become an obstacle to her growing fondness for him?Jarrett Rains is the third son of the wealthiest family in Coleburn County. For many years, he has dreamt of marrying Pauline Dixon and has no plans to escape that fate. When he loses a poker game to one of the most misfortunate farmers in the town, his pride is deeply hurt. Feeling completely humiliated and embarrassed, he decides to do whatever it takes to get sweet revenge on his family. Having the perfect plan in mind, he will start working for the Andersons. But will he succeed in fulfilling his insidious idea or will the Anderson family realize his underlying goal?Life in the ranch brings Jarrett and Laila closer than they would ever expect to be, and undeniable emotions are growing between them. Will Jarrett get the future he has always been planning, and run off with Pauline? Or will he see that real respect, honor and love might be staring him right in the face without him realizing it?"Her Unintentional Pure Love" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.