Polly's Present

A fiery redhead, Polly Richardson, heiress of a quince plantation, is a southern belle determined to liberate herself from the restrictions of her realm, and the antiquated laws of 1919 (year chosen because of the inherent hope at the end of two calamities on the face of the Earth: the Great Influenza Pandemic and World War I). Polly's intense interactions with four men within her Appalachian town in South Carolina—her powerful father; an elderly sage of Nature; a young farmer turned teacher; and a vigorous aristocratic visitor from Charleston (Barker, the main narrator)—assist her indomitable spirit into achieving ultimate freedom. This riveting historical romance, despite more than a decade in the making, is prescient as it explores the perennial subjects of inspiration and liberty, by dealing with the unfulfilled equality of women.

Polly fights for her rights!