Romantic, Beautiful, and Tragic

When Jasper Wainwright returns to Beaufort after time abroad, he meets his cousin’s beautiful niece, Cara. Since Jasper is an abolitionist, and since Cara will inherit hundreds of slaves one day, it’s fortunate Cara wants nothing to do with him. Jasper’s cousin, Henry, wants Jasper to settle in Beaufort. Jasper’s former slave, now friend, Spit Jim, wants Jasper to quit Beaufort lickety-split.

Even though Beaufort is full of culture and charm, and even though Cara is never far from his eyes or his thoughts, Jasper knows he needs to leave. He can no longer drink, and drinking and dueling are the predominant pastimes of men in Beaufort. And yet the writings of a certain Eustace Woods give Jasper hope that the South could evolve away from slavery. As cries for secession grow louder, Jasper works desperately to convince Beaufort planters of the wisdom of gradual emancipation. Will Beaufort be another Pompeii, its civilization barreling towards a cataclysm it refuses to foresee?

Beaufort 1849 is a story of Sea Island cotton and hot-headed secessionists, of waltzes and Chopin, of slavery and abolition, and of the tragic drumbeat of war that can be heard in the distance.

"In this lively historical novel . . . charged with subtle period detail and boasting fully developed characters, Allen's work is sharp, smart, and well focused." Publishers Weekly

“With an ear of a poet, Allen envelops us in the antebellum South, weaving together a story full of evocative detail and compelling characters." Susan Gevirtz, author of AERODROME ORION & Starry Messenger

Beaufort 1849 is a popular choice for book clubs