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Unchained #1
Escape
Daniel and Lori love each other, yet to live as one in 1856, they must escape from the unyielding society that imprisons them.
Lori was born a slave in North Carolina, yet by chance was raised alongside Daniel in a wealthy abolitionist household. The sudden death of Daniel’s mother catapults Lori back into bondage.
Relegated to chattel on a rice plantation, Lori lives in constant fear under the tormenting scrutiny of Daniel’s wretched Aunt Lucinda.
After Daniel fails to convince his relatives to free Lori, he is compelled to devise a daring escape. Although a life threatening endeavor for both of them, Lori’s freedom is priceless to Daniel, and he’s willing to pay such a price for her love.
Lori was born a slave in North Carolina, yet by chance was raised alongside Daniel in a wealthy abolitionist household. The sudden death of Daniel’s mother catapults Lori back into bondage.
Relegated to chattel on a rice plantation, Lori lives in constant fear under the tormenting scrutiny of Daniel’s wretched Aunt Lucinda.
After Daniel fails to convince his relatives to free Lori, he is compelled to devise a daring escape. Although a life threatening endeavor for both of them, Lori’s freedom is priceless to Daniel, and he’s willing to pay such a price for her love.
334 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2012
131 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Maria McKenzie
12books83followersI was a librarian for several years, and librarian, of course, equals book lover! I enjoy curling up with a good book when not writing, or daydreaming about a new novel to write. I'm a sucker for a good love story, and live on a steady reading diet of romantic suspense, thrillers, historical fiction and non-fiction, and biographies.
I've always been a daydreamer, but didn't enjoy reading until I discovered Nancy Drew at age 10. As for writing, I never thought I'd actually pen a novel. I'm not a talker, so how could I ever fill up a book? As a quiet person, I internalize a lot. And later in life I discovered that internalizing can create some wonderful stories!
Being in an interracial marriage (I'm black and my husband's white), I enjoy exploring the topic of interracial/multicultural romance in our nation's past and writing tales of forbidden love.
Mixed race romance from decades gone by is emotionally explosive, providing heart-wrenching conflict, as well as incredible pain. Those elements combined create amazing stories. Love transcends all boundaries. If two hearts are meant to be together, they'll find a way, regardless of circumstance.
I graduated from Wittenberg University with a degree in English, then received a master's in Library Science from Atlanta University. While working as a librarian in North Carolina, I met my husband. Our marriage inspired my novel Unchained. One day I thought how sad it would have been if we'd fallen in love 150 years earlier and couldn't have married (as mentioned earlier, he's white, I'm black). I kept thinking "what if, what if," and eventually Unchained came into being, but I turned it into a trilogy because the story kept going on and on!
Essie Mae Washington Williams's memoir Dear Senator provided the idea for The Governor's Sons. Ms. Williams is the African American love child of South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond. After reading her story, I wondered what would have happened if a southern governor fathered a son by a black woman, and that son grew up to become a civil rights leader.
I live in Cincinnati with my husband and our two sons. I'm a foodie, love old movies, history, museums and antiquing. I'm also into fitness and enjoy running. During my morning runs I can come up with some great story ideas, if I'm not listening to a book! Book junkie that I am, audio books are an addiction!
I've always been a daydreamer, but didn't enjoy reading until I discovered Nancy Drew at age 10. As for writing, I never thought I'd actually pen a novel. I'm not a talker, so how could I ever fill up a book? As a quiet person, I internalize a lot. And later in life I discovered that internalizing can create some wonderful stories!
Being in an interracial marriage (I'm black and my husband's white), I enjoy exploring the topic of interracial/multicultural romance in our nation's past and writing tales of forbidden love.
Mixed race romance from decades gone by is emotionally explosive, providing heart-wrenching conflict, as well as incredible pain. Those elements combined create amazing stories. Love transcends all boundaries. If two hearts are meant to be together, they'll find a way, regardless of circumstance.
I graduated from Wittenberg University with a degree in English, then received a master's in Library Science from Atlanta University. While working as a librarian in North Carolina, I met my husband. Our marriage inspired my novel Unchained. One day I thought how sad it would have been if we'd fallen in love 150 years earlier and couldn't have married (as mentioned earlier, he's white, I'm black). I kept thinking "what if, what if," and eventually Unchained came into being, but I turned it into a trilogy because the story kept going on and on!
Essie Mae Washington Williams's memoir Dear Senator provided the idea for The Governor's Sons. Ms. Williams is the African American love child of South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond. After reading her story, I wondered what would have happened if a southern governor fathered a son by a black woman, and that son grew up to become a civil rights leader.
I live in Cincinnati with my husband and our two sons. I'm a foodie, love old movies, history, museums and antiquing. I'm also into fitness and enjoy running. During my morning runs I can come up with some great story ideas, if I'm not listening to a book! Book junkie that I am, audio books are an addiction!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 8, 2019
I borrowed this book totally on the title. Not even knowing it was about a slave named Lori. Lori falls for a white man and decide is best to leave the plantation. The ending is kind of ironic but worth a read.
October 15, 2019
Maria McKenzie takes us on a heart-wrenching and pulse-quickening escape in Escape! Raised alongside one another, Lori and Daniel have always been close. But when Lori’s mom dies and she is catapulted back into slavery, Daniel must help her escape. This novel was beautiful and tense, and I really loved both Lori and Daniel, especially with how well McKenzie’s writing brings them to life! I can’t wait to see where the rest of the trilogy takes them!
January 10, 2018
3.5 stars. Lori is a slave in the pre-Civil War south. Daniel is the abolitionist nephew of the man who owns her. They are in love and Daniel will do anything to free Lori and take her for his wife. This process takes up most of book #1 in the "Unchained" trilogy. It's not like most "plantation" stories as it only begins there. The couple face obstacles as you can imagine being an interracial during that time period. The only thing I really didn't like was the amount of time that the author skips at times. At one point in this book so many years had gone by one time Daniel and Lori were living in California with three mostly grown children you never heard of.
January 4, 2023
Picked up as a trilogy for the entire family saga and the story of the younger generations 'passing' not just as a standalone historical romance. This is what attracted me to the story
Book 1 - Lori and Daniel
Their love was beautiful. And given the nature of how she was raised within his family rather than as a slave, it was totally believable to me that they may fall in love. I did feel that they were both very young and naive at times, especially at the beginning, and some of Lori's expectations of Daniel were too high for a boy of 18 with little life experience at that point.
The level of Christian content was a surprise to me, it not being mentioned in the blurb or any other reviews I saw, and left me feeling a fair amount of discomfort as I rarely choose this type of story to read. However, I was able to see past that to the core of the story, the love story between the MCs and all the barriers they faced to their very hard-earned HEA.
(Edited 02.03.20)
Fade to white...Just who do you think you are? Steven Jordan thought he knew, until his grandmother, Selina Manning, threw a grenade that put his identity in question. She reveals a secret: her grandmother was a black woman, born a slave. Yet Selina has lived her entire life as white.
Will Steven ever accept this root hidden beneath his family tree, or choose to leave it buried? Uncertain of what he’ll find, he delves into the past to learn where the secret began.
Book 1 - Lori and Daniel
Their love was beautiful. And given the nature of how she was raised within his family rather than as a slave, it was totally believable to me that they may fall in love. I did feel that they were both very young and naive at times, especially at the beginning, and some of Lori's expectations of Daniel were too high for a boy of 18 with little life experience at that point.
The level of Christian content was a surprise to me, it not being mentioned in the blurb or any other reviews I saw, and left me feeling a fair amount of discomfort as I rarely choose this type of story to read. However, I was able to see past that to the core of the story, the love story between the MCs and all the barriers they faced to their very hard-earned HEA.
(Edited 02.03.20)
September 1, 2021
A Beautiful Love Story
I really appreciate and admire the author for writing as well the Bible Scriptures talking about God especially when Olivia recites Proverbs to her ungrateful sister. Daniel’s mom died before the novel basically started but her son lived through his mother’s beliefs she wanted him to take care of Lori (slave) but I feel in my heart that she knew they would be together.. I did not like Capn Cindy especially when she had the overseer to whip her near death and he didn’t won’t to do it. I love that Daniel and Lori life marriage and children were based on God! Even though the babygirl Lahaina was a handful hurting her parents and especially her mom because she was a colored woman but I have to stop here and hopefully you will enjoy this beautiful love story♥️ I am so touched by this novel author you rock
I really appreciate and admire the author for writing as well the Bible Scriptures talking about God especially when Olivia recites Proverbs to her ungrateful sister. Daniel’s mom died before the novel basically started but her son lived through his mother’s beliefs she wanted him to take care of Lori (slave) but I feel in my heart that she knew they would be together.. I did not like Capn Cindy especially when she had the overseer to whip her near death and he didn’t won’t to do it. I love that Daniel and Lori life marriage and children were based on God! Even though the babygirl Lahaina was a handful hurting her parents and especially her mom because she was a colored woman but I have to stop here and hopefully you will enjoy this beautiful love story♥️ I am so touched by this novel author you rock
July 15, 2020
Maybe 2.5 stars. I want to give credit to the fact that I felt like I did learn a lot. But! The! Amount! Of! Exclamation! Points! On! Every! Damn! Page! Got a little tedious...if you know what I mean. I think the author had a great story in her head and maybe executed it in a way that cheapened in a lot of ways. I was so disappointed with the ending and the harsh turn it took into a completely different plot. The characters seemed shallow to me. It left me with no feelings to move onto the next book in the series. I was also surprised it isn’t listed as Christian fiction because trust me, this is Christian fiction.
July 14, 2020
Love to read
Wow, some real emotions and a real look into the treacherous hand of slavery on the human body and soul. How different brothers and sisters can be, blood makes us related but love makes us family. Levinia only loves herself, and for the wrong reason sad, sad, sad. Looking forward to reading Books II and III.
Wow, some real emotions and a real look into the treacherous hand of slavery on the human body and soul. How different brothers and sisters can be, blood makes us related but love makes us family. Levinia only loves herself, and for the wrong reason sad, sad, sad. Looking forward to reading Books II and III.
May 14, 2022
Well written!
I really enjoyed this book. I think the author caught the right tone in this story. She made the characters real and meaty and ended with a cliff hanger. I can't wait to read part 2.
I really enjoyed this book. I think the author caught the right tone in this story. She made the characters real and meaty and ended with a cliff hanger. I can't wait to read part 2.
September 23, 2020
Amazing read...can't wait to read the 2nd book in this trilogy.
February 20, 2017
Great Read
This was a great read, I was happy to find out this was one of 3 books. Emotionally charged so be prepared.
This was a great read, I was happy to find out this was one of 3 books. Emotionally charged so be prepared.
October 30, 2012
Escape is a romance novel, but it's no escapist fairy tale. The obstacles that Daniel and Lori have to face to be together are daunting to say the least. Lori's a slave and Daniel's a free man with abolitionist leanings. Their fight to be together makes compelling reading although some of the obstacles they face are quite horrifying. Yet the book is a joy to read. What warms the heart is Daniel and Lori's simple love for each other and their strong trust in God. It literally shines through Maria's writing. It's not a fairy tale read, yet it manages to be realistic and hopeful at the same time.
What's horrifying for me to read as a Christian is how many so-called Christian people used the Bible to justify slavery and the abuse of people of African-American origin. It is good to know that there were Christians then who truly believed that there is no discrimination in God's eyes.
Well researched historical novels like this are truly educational; they can teach us much about the mistakes of the past. Even in the world today there are people who dare not fall in love with each other for fear of dreadful and horrible retribution.
A very simple, compelling and historically authentic read.
I must add that this book is a romantic story, but it is also part of a bigger, wider, family saga spanning several generations. If you walk into this expecting a category romance with the de rigeur happy ending, you will be disappointed. It is actually part of a trilogy THE UNCHAINED TRILOGY. The story goes beyond the happy ending and we see our main characters dealing with the reality of an inter-racial marriage and the harsh realities of raising mixed race children in a society where the laws may have been changed to suit the times, but where people find it difficult to let go of their prejudices and narrow minded tendencies. Like I said earlier, it is an enjoyable read but not escapist fiction. Yet the author manages to give us a slice of grim life without destroying our sense of hope. There were no hot love scenes although we knew our characters were having a sexual relationship. But the truth is, such scenes were unnecessary. We don't see our friends and neighbours in their bedrooms, nor would we want to. As I said, it's not a category romance. But it's still romantic and beautiful.
What's horrifying for me to read as a Christian is how many so-called Christian people used the Bible to justify slavery and the abuse of people of African-American origin. It is good to know that there were Christians then who truly believed that there is no discrimination in God's eyes.
Well researched historical novels like this are truly educational; they can teach us much about the mistakes of the past. Even in the world today there are people who dare not fall in love with each other for fear of dreadful and horrible retribution.
A very simple, compelling and historically authentic read.
I must add that this book is a romantic story, but it is also part of a bigger, wider, family saga spanning several generations. If you walk into this expecting a category romance with the de rigeur happy ending, you will be disappointed. It is actually part of a trilogy THE UNCHAINED TRILOGY. The story goes beyond the happy ending and we see our main characters dealing with the reality of an inter-racial marriage and the harsh realities of raising mixed race children in a society where the laws may have been changed to suit the times, but where people find it difficult to let go of their prejudices and narrow minded tendencies. Like I said earlier, it is an enjoyable read but not escapist fiction. Yet the author manages to give us a slice of grim life without destroying our sense of hope. There were no hot love scenes although we knew our characters were having a sexual relationship. But the truth is, such scenes were unnecessary. We don't see our friends and neighbours in their bedrooms, nor would we want to. As I said, it's not a category romance. But it's still romantic and beautiful.
April 13, 2017
Escape
I got this from Amazon a while back and have been planning on reading for a while. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the writing and the plot. Just not sure how accurate this novel may have been. Nevertheless there were moments of suspense. This is more about an interracial relationship. My only grouse is that the last third of the book seemed rushed and most of the characters were pretty bland and not nuanced enough. Overall a decent book and I'll be going on with the rest of the series.
I got this from Amazon a while back and have been planning on reading for a while. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the writing and the plot. Just not sure how accurate this novel may have been. Nevertheless there were moments of suspense. This is more about an interracial relationship. My only grouse is that the last third of the book seemed rushed and most of the characters were pretty bland and not nuanced enough. Overall a decent book and I'll be going on with the rest of the series.
October 11, 2012
When you first start to read this book you think OK he loves her and will do anything to free her and be with her for the rest of his life kind of romance book.
That unfortunately is not really the case,the author had a good plot and strong characters. The book interested me enough and overall really had a few pages here and there that were very well written,
Having not read anything by this author before I went in open mined but came up short in the end. The author somewhat ventures of the original path of what she starts out with.
It was a little like one minute I am reading about these two characters in this setting and these circumstances and the next it was ,wait did I just pick up the wrong book .
I do see definite potential for the author to be one of the brilliant authors of our time but I think she needs to consider adding in a little more passion into her work as in the end it felt like I was reading a drama and not a romance.
3/5 star review
That unfortunately is not really the case,the author had a good plot and strong characters. The book interested me enough and overall really had a few pages here and there that were very well written,
Having not read anything by this author before I went in open mined but came up short in the end. The author somewhat ventures of the original path of what she starts out with.
It was a little like one minute I am reading about these two characters in this setting and these circumstances and the next it was ,wait did I just pick up the wrong book .
I do see definite potential for the author to be one of the brilliant authors of our time but I think she needs to consider adding in a little more passion into her work as in the end it felt like I was reading a drama and not a romance.
3/5 star review
September 7, 2014
The theme of the book.....a slave women runs away with a white man with abolitionist sympathies seemed like a good read. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to the plantation slave enmironment. I felt once Daniel and Lori decide to leave the plantation and run away to Ohio that the storyline is expressed forward without any substance. The writing is a bit simplistic and many details are omitted. This is the first book of a trilogy. I don't believe I will continue on with the last two books.
Read
July 16, 2014A Good Read!!!
I'm a sucker for forbidden love stories. Lori & Daniel's love was unconditional and it only intensified with each obstacle they faced. I love that the ending of this book took an unsuspecting turn with Lavinia's runaway marriage to Vernon. I can't wait to read part 2.
I'm a sucker for forbidden love stories. Lori & Daniel's love was unconditional and it only intensified with each obstacle they faced. I love that the ending of this book took an unsuspecting turn with Lavinia's runaway marriage to Vernon. I can't wait to read part 2.
October 16, 2012
Could not keep my attention. Author may have some goof potential but needs to work on developing her story northern and sticking to what the began to develop as the story line. Be definitive not all over the place . Needs some help but there I'd potential either openness and clarity in the writing.
June 16, 2016
Happy I read the reviews
I have just discovered Mrs McKenzie and I love it. But I must say her into earning of the time gaps and the reviewers despair because of them, prepared me so I was ready for the next-generation. I loved it.
I have just discovered Mrs McKenzie and I love it. But I must say her into earning of the time gaps and the reviewers despair because of them, prepared me so I was ready for the next-generation. I loved it.
Want to read
September 13, 2012looks and sounds awesome cant wait to read it!!
March 8, 2015
Nice story about love and faith
This book is not only a book about slavery, but one of trusting in the Lord and love for each other. I really enjoyed the twist towards the end.
This book is not only a book about slavery, but one of trusting in the Lord and love for each other. I really enjoyed the twist towards the end.
April 30, 2015
really good book!
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