A Dream of Daring — LaGreca

In the South before the Civil War, one man's radical ideas and breakthrough invention threaten the townspeople's privileged way of life, based on slavery and power. The result is murder.

Tom Edmunton, the science-minded son of a cotton planter, has designed the precursor of the tractor in antebellum Louisiana. He foresees a new age of mechanized farming that will empty the fields of men and supplant the South's slavery system. But the planters of his town don't like his big ideas about changing their world or the intensity with which he's pursuing them.

As Tom hears the call of the new age, he also feels the pull of two women. Rachel, a senator's daughter, loves him, but will she break with her family to stand by his side if the town rebukes him? Solo, a rebellious mulatto slave, despises Tom, along with every other master. Rachel is free, but is her spirit chained? Solo is chained, but is her spirit free? Will Tom's romantic inclinations further uproot the town's conventions and notions of subjugation?

Tensions between Tom and the planters peak, and the tractor is stolen. “Then a shocking murder sets into motion inextricably linked events and revelations that will change life as they know it for Tom, Rachel, and Solo” (BOOKLIST).

Cold-blooded murder, scandalous romance, and the bitter clash of two ages unfold in this gripping mystery set during the tumultuous lead-up to the Civil War.

A DREAM OF DARING is a haunting tale of the Old South, with its lush fields of white-gold cotton, its majestic plantations, its elegant gentry, and its embattled slaves. Ingenious and original, the novel reveals a sweeping story of secrets, lies, forbidden love, and earth-shaking aspirations. It's an irresistible page-turner, packed with suspense and surprising plot twists. It's filled with ideas to stimulate the mind and passion to excite the spirit.

A DREAM OF DARING delves deeply into conflicts of the period that still plague the world today -- the clash between progress and control, between freedom and servitude, between the limitless reach of the human spirit and the forces that work to suppress it -- giving the story a relevance and immediacy in our own time.

AWARDS FOR A DREAM OF DARING:
ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist in Romance
Midwest Book Award Finalist in Historical Fiction
Midwest Book Award Finalist in Romance
Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist in Legacy Fiction
Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist in Regional Fiction
Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist in Multicultural Fiction

"thought-provoking" BOOKLIST
"suspenseful...engaging...relevant for all generations" FOREWORD
"an enticing blend of mystery and romance...much recommended reading" MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

PRAISE FOR A DREAM OF DARING:
“Grab your seat for a tumbling ride back to the high-stakes, hoop-flying, tumultuous time when cotton was king. Gen LaGreca takes you for a jaunt in her carriage through fields of fragrant words, luscious descriptions, and panoramic views. . . .” --Barry Farber, host of The Barry Farber Show

“I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and turns, the passionate interracial romance, the delicious rebellion against convention, and the challenge to subjugation of all kinds.” --Marsha Familaro Enright, President, Reason, Individualism and Freedom Institute

“A heroic and inspiring novel that's also packed with rich insights, lessons -- and warnings -- for today.” --John Blundell, author of Ladies for Liberty

THIS NOVEL APPEALS TO READERS OF:
Historical fiction, mystery, romantic suspense
US / Civil War history
Multicultural fiction
Historical literary fiction

Also see Gen LaGreca's first novel, NOBLE VISION, a ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist and Writer's Digest Book Awards pick.