About the Book

Book: To Speak His Name

Author: Tara Johnson

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: March 4, 2024

Avalina is a woman trapped in silence. Stolen from her home in Ireland and sold as a slave to a Barbados plantation owner, the trauma of her past has left her mute, wrapped in a prison of loneliness and isolation amid an island of beauty. Though she longs to be free from the cruelty of her overseer, her heart yearns for a greater freedom…something just beyond her grasp.

Josiah Holland has been born into a South Carolina slave-holding family but all it takes is one trip to the island of Barbados to open his eyes to the ugly cruelty that abounds beyond the confines of his plantation. With the aid of fiery abolitionist Benjamin McGee, Josiah forges a new future, fighting the very ideals he was once a part of.

When Avalina and Josiah’s lives entwine, will their spark engulf them in destruction, or ignite a revolution?

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About the Author

Tara Johnson is an author and speaker, and loves to write stories that help people break free from the lies they believe about themselves.

Tara’s debut novel Engraved on the Heart (Tyndale) earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and was a finalist in the Carol and Christy awards. Tara has been published by Tyndale House, Annie’s, and Guideposts. In addition to being published in a variety of digital and print magazines, she is a certified body language expert and has been on radio, television and podcasts. She is a history nerd, especially the Civil War, and adores making people laugh. She, her husband, and children live in Arkansas.

More from Tara

Barbados Sweet Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3⁄4cup brown sugar
1⁄3cup shortening (or coconut oil)
1⁄3cup butter
2cups flour
1pinch salt
2 1⁄4cups grated coconut
1⁄4cup raisins, chopped
1⁄4cup dried cherries, chopped
1tablespoon grated nutmeg
1tablespoon almond extract
1 1⁄3cups evaporated milk
3tablespoons water
1tablespoon butter (for pan)
2tablespoons turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease a bread pan. The original recipe calls for 2 bread pans, but the bread doesn’t rise at all so it bakes nicely in one pan.
In a mixer cream together the brown sugar, shortening and butter.
Add flour, salt, grated coconut, raisins, cherries, nutmeg and mix well.
Stir in almond extract, evaporated milk, and water, until a firm dough is formed. (You may need to add additional water.).
Split the dough evenly between the two pans, and use a knife to cut a diagonal criss-cross pattern on the top of each loaf. Sprinkle 1 tbsp turbinado sugar over the top of each loaf.
Bake for about 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean (Or a digital thermometer reads 190*F.) Cool completely in the pans before removing.

The Story Behind To Speak His Name

By Tara Johnson

Who doesn’t love a toe-curling romance? I confess, when I began writing my upcoming story To Speak His Name, romance was the farthest thing from my mind.

This novel was prompted by two unique nuggets. First, I have always been fascinated with how those who have never heard of Jesus come to a saving knowledge of Him. How does the Holy Spirit reveal such marvelous truths to a soul who knows nothing of the spiritual world?

I began meditating on Psalm 19: 1-3: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” At the same time, I picked up a small nonfiction book about the Irish slave trade, and what I learned was astonishing.

The Irish slave trade began when King James II sold 30,000 Irish prisoners as slaves to the New World. From 1641 to 1652, over 500,000 Irish were killed by the English and another 300,000 were sold as slaves. Ireland’s population fell from about 1,500,000 to 600,000 in one single decade. Families were ripped apart and 52,000 Irish (mostly women and children) were sold to Barbados and neighboring islands.

My imagination quickly took flight. I pictured a young Irish girl named Avalina, stolen away from her home, shipwrecked and found wandering on a sandy beach in Barbados.

Oh, one other thing…Avalina is mute.

She is taken in by a cruel man and forced to work as a slave on his plantation, surrounded by strange people in a strange world who are steeped in polytheism and superstition. The years pass and, with her voice locked away in silence, she wonders if there isn’t something more to life than mere existence.

Enter Josiah Holland.

I never conceived having the son of a slave trader as my hero, but once I wrote the first scene with Josiah, I knew he would be the one to set Avalina’s heart on a path toward freedom. Just as the famed hymnist and former slave trader John Newton found redemption in the arms of Jesus, so Josiah turns away from the world he knows to embrace a broken woman and an uncertain future.

Is Josiah perfect? No. He struggles to please his demanding family. He grapples with his motives and his stained past, yet he is beautifully vulnerable.

When I finished penning the final scene, it hit me: Josiah is a picture of Christ. He redeems Avalina and carries her from the Land of Darkness into a kingdom of Light. He shows her kindness and compassion when all others treat her with disdain. What a lovely picture of grace.

MY REVIEW

This has been a very hard book to read because it is difficult to absorb how slaves were treated. I appreciate the historical facts in the book which enhances the story. I have read several books about slaves, but this is one of the best written. The opening pages were so intense as we were introduced to our main characters.

Avalina grabbed my heart instantly. She has never felt freedom in her life and hardly ever speaks a word. When she is alone, her voice is sweet and pure as she sings from her heart. She is always careful not to be alone with the one who owns her. I loved how she hungered to know who God was. How can this God love her as she thinks she is not worthy?

Josiah is a good man with a big heart. I don’t think he ever realized just how bad his father treated his slaves. While on the ship he begins to wonder why so many were dying. When he goes below deck to see for himself , he is sickened. Chains dangle from wrists so thin, they barely stay on. The odor is so overwhelming he had to go to the top of the ship to breathe. He now sees for himself the kind of man his father really is. Will he join his father’s business or choose to change and help free those held captive?

When Josiah and Avalina meet it is at her master’s plantation. I liked how they glance at each other with a sense that perhaps something good will come from their meeting each other. When Josiah witnesses a beating of a child he knows he can not be a part of his dad’s business. I think what really put him over the edge was the horrible treatment he saw that Avalina was subjected to.

The author delivers a powerful story with faith woven throughout the story. It is important to note that faith was a vital part to many in this time period. Without their faith, many would have given up. I couldn’t wait to see if Josiah would be able to take Avalina away from the place that holds her captive and silences her voice.

For those looking for a realistic look at slavery, the fight for freedom and those who stood up against injustice this is the one book you must read. Tensions run high in the story as the author takes us into the battle to free slaves and stand up for truth. I loved how the story was never sugar coated and gave us details that we may not be able to read but is important for all to know.

“The most important thing we can do is walk and speak in truth.”

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.