Dangerfield’s Promise

In Dangerfield’s Promise, Terrance Newby spins a historical, magical tale that combines two stories from two different centuries and juxtaposes a time in history when African Americans had to fight for freedom with today’s relatively liberated world. A main protagonist, Michael Turner, receives an important message from his dying grandmother about his relation to the historical Dangerfield Newby. Consequently, Turner decides to find out about the legitimacy of her claims by vacationing and researching some deceased persons in West Virginia with his wife, Tracy. Eventually, Turner starts to see some gruesome ghostly visions that force him and his wife to question his sanity.

Another important protagonist, Dangerfield Newby, is a freed slave who attempts to buy his wife and children from their owner but receives a disappointing response when the slave owner chooses to go back on their deal. Dangerfield decides to instead use force to reunite with his wife and children by joining John Brown in his war against slave owners. What secrets will Turner discover about the untold stories of Dangerfield Newby?

Dangerfield’s Promise blends history and fiction with such skill and ingenuousness that you begin to question where reality ends and fiction begins. I wondered if Dangerfield actually asked for more time to work where his wife was before he became a free man. With the highly detailed information in the book, it is apparent that Terrance took time to research history, medicine, psychology, and the other major elements in it. I learned that papillomas and tumors that show atypical hyperplasia are “indicators of a higher risk of breast cancer.” Also, some supernatural elements—like ghosts, visions, and spiritual dreams—are sprinkled tastefully throughout the book, creating a sense of mystery that makes you eager to unravel the hidden parts.

The book is a must-read for fans of classic historical narratives, like Django Unchained and 12 Years A Slave. Plus, readers who enjoy magical realism will have their fill of thrills with the hair-raising ghost appearances and intriguing visions. Told through multiple third-person perspectives, the book brings different strong characters and times together in a one grand, epic narrative that is perfect for a complete escape from the mundane.

This remarkable story about the inhumane act of slavery will inspire readers to question the practices they view as normal but future generations might find equally deplorable. Dangerfield’s Promise is so lifelike and emotional that it helped me appreciate how far humanity has come—even though there’s still much room for improvement. Terrace had better make it a series because I want more!