The Purchase: A Novel

The Purchase is to be savoured! Daniel Dickinson is shunned from his Quaker community after he takes a servant as his wife (after his first dies) to take care of his children. He uproots his family and moves to the "wild west" to create a home there. He vows never to buy slaves; however, before he lays hoe to ground, he has purchased one. From there, the story unfolds pitting environment against man and morality against necessity. Spalding writes so beautifully that it is a joy to read her rich descriptions of life on the plains. Although there were a few slow areas, Spalding quickly regains the story and allows the reader to travel to the depths of the characters' souls. From a bird's eye view, the reader sees the pitfalls the characters are going to encounter through their decisions based on love, righteousness and through their need to survive. Their decisions draw the reader further into their lives. Spalding did a lot of research on the time and the terrain which helped the reader visualise the lush landscape. This novel portrays an interesting slice of American history.