Shining a bright Springtime Spotlight on Brook Allen's fascinating novel, West of Santillane #HistoricalFiction #WomenInHistory #BookSpotlight

West of Santillane

by Brook Allen

Desperate to escape a mundane future as a Virginia planter’s wife, Julia Hancock seizes her chance for adventure when she wins the heart of American hero William Clark. Though her husband is the famed explorer, Julia embarks on her own thrilling and perilous journey of self-discovery.

Gazing ever westward, Julia possesses a hunger for knowledge and a passion for helping others. She deeply loves Will’s strength and generous manner, but, like her parents, he’s a slave owner, and she despises slavery. Still, her love for Will wins out, though he’s unaware of her beliefs.

She finds that St. Louis has few of the luxuries to which she is accustomed. It harbors scandalous politicians and miscreants of all types. As her husband and his best friend, Meriwether Lewis, work to establish an American government and plan to publish their highly anticipated memoirs, she assumes the roles of both wife and mother. She is also drawn into the plight of an Indian family anxious to return to their own lands and becomes an advocate for Will’s enslaved.

In time, Julia’s clandestine aid to the Indians and Will’s enslaved draws unwanted attention, even placing her at odds with her husband.

Danger leads her to embrace the courage to save herself and others through a challenge of forgiveness that will either restore the love she shares with Will or end it forever.

Praise for West of Santillane:

'"West of Santillane" is not just an account of historical events but also a story of love, resilience, and self-discovery. Brook Allen successfully blends romantic, historical, and adventurous elements, offering readers a captivating and memorable reading experience. The book is a warm recommendation for those who appreciate well-documented historical fiction and engaging life narratives.'

~ The Historical Fiction Company

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

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Brook Allen

Author Brook Allen has a passion for history. Her newest project, West of Santillane, spotlights history from a little closer to home. It’s the story of Julia Hancock, who married famed explorer, William Clark. Each character of this thrilling, adventurous period was researched throughout southwest Virginia and into Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Idaho, and North Dakota. It launched in March of 2024.

Brook belongs to the Historical Novel Society and attends conferences as often as possible to study craft and meet fellow authors. In 2019, her novel Antonius: Son of Rome won the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year Award. In 2020, it was honored with a silver medal in the international Reader’s Favorite Book Reviewers Book Awards and then won First Place in the prestigious Chaucer Division in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2020.

Though she graduated from Asbury University with a B.A. in Music Education, Brook has always loved writing. She completed a Masters program at Hollins University with an emphasis in Ancient Roman studies, which helped prepare her for authoring her Antonius Trilogy. Brook teaches full-time as a Music Educator and works in a rural public-school district near Roanoke, Virginia. Her personal interests include travel, cycling, hiking in the woods, reading, and spending downtime with her husband and big, black dog, Jak. She lives in the heart of southwest Virginia in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.

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