Lime Spring
As the United States teeters toward civil war, a small Missouri community ekes out a unique existence in the engaging historical novel Lime Spring.
Jack Williams’s historical novel Lime Spring focuses on the foundation and history of an isolated Missouri plantation.
John and Abigail free their enslaved workers and maintain Lime Spring, a secret haven for free Black people in the north of proslavery Missouri. They manage the property with their Black childhood friends, Asa and Netty. Self-sufficient, the people of Lime Spring navigate the turbulent years before, during, and after the Civil War.
The Lime Spring community is surrounded by proslavery “Border Ruffians,” antislavery “Jayhawkers,” and ruthless outlaws like Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang. The children of Lime Spring—Daniel, Willie, Sarah Ann, and Flora—grow up in a landscape that is at first idyllic but is punctuated by sudden violence and tragedy. Daniel’s mother Abigail is murdered in a raid, neighboring plantations are burned to the ground, and Lime Spring must be fortified against attacks. All the while, the freedmen of the settlement hide their status for fear of being discovered and returned to slavery.
Missouri’s history and geography wind into the story, which is rich in setting and context. Emphasis is placed on the national politics of the 1850s as the United States teeters towards civil war, with events like “Bloody Kansas” dominating people’s minds during early parts of the book. Space is also afforded to local historical figures like “Bloody Bill” Anderson.
The actions of specific historical gangs, outfits, and military units are detailed throughout, with historical raids and battles intermingling with the stories of Lime Spring’s residents. As time goes on, outlaws and raiders become dangerous antagonists for Daniel and the other small, independent-minded farmers who surround Lime Spring.
The prose is straightforward and effective, focusing on the daily needs of 1850s Missouri as well as the practical economics and logistics of the frontier community. The text goes into great depth detailing how the free Black people of Lime Spring circumvent the racially segregated society of Missouri, for example by tricking a blind traveling preacher into baptizing the freed slaves and marrying a couple while being unaware of the color of their skin. The scenes of battle and gunfights are tense and effective, full of standoffs and horseback chases.
As the novel continues, Daniel emerges as its most focal character. He comes of age in the midst of civil strife and guerrilla warfare. Still, he is ill distinguished from his peers. Indeed, the community members of Lime Spring bleed together on the page, holding open-table discussions on the issues facing them; in conversation, few voices stand out. Individuals are lost as the book makes an effort to encompass the larger tide of historical events.
Lime Spring is an informative historical novel about the bloody, conflicted history of a small corner of the US during the Civil War.
Reviewed by
Brendan McKelvy
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
