The Undertaker's Assistant: Southern Historical Fiction

An enthralling novel of historical fiction, The Undertaker's Assistant, is a powerful tale of human resilience set in Reconstruction-era New Orleans, with a remarkable and unforgettable heroine at its core, perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate and Ellen Marie Wiseman.

"The dead can't harm you. Only the living can," Effie Jones, a former slave who found freedom on the Union side as a child, understands the truth behind these words. Raised by an army surgeon and his wife during the War, Effie was taught to read, write, endure the sight of blood and broken bodies, and bury painful memories. Now a young freedwoman working as an embalmer in New Orleans, Effie's skilled hands compensate for her white employer's deficiencies.

Effie, tall and serious, keeps her distance from the other women in her boarding house, finding solace in her work. However, her encounters with a captivating state legislator, Samson Greene, and a stunning young Creole woman, Adeline, introduce her to new worlds of activism, social events, and personal ambition. Motivated by a desire to uncover her hidden past and locate her family, Effie's resolve is tested by betrayal, as New Orleans grapples with violence and racial tensions. Through loss and heartbreak, Effie finds a chance to discover her true place in the world.

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