Philip Richards has made a life out of self-destruction. Haunted by the abuse his sister endured at the hands of their grandfather, he numbs his guilt with alcohol and reckless choices. When his father dies, the past comes roaring back in ways Philip never imagined.
He discovers a stolen manuscript chronicling the forbidden Civil War–era love between his ancestor Russell and Fever, the enslaved woman who became his wife. At the same time, Philip meets Edith, a poet who stirs something hopeful in him for the first time.
But just as Philip begins to reconcile with his family’s shadows, new accusations emerge that threaten to drag everything into the light. Can he face the legacy of pain—or will history repeat itself?
