Beginning ~ with a baby

Yellow Crocus ~ by Laila Ibrahim, 2014, fiction (Virginia). 9.5/10

April 14, 1837
Mattie lay curled around the warm shape of her son when the unwanted messenger knocked.  She stayed on her pallet, reluctant to end this precious time, and listened to the sound of quiet snores coming from her grandfather.  She gazed at Samuel, pressed her nose close against his soft neck to take in his sweet baby scent.  She gently wiped the glistening sweat away from his damp forehead and gave him a tender kiss upon his temple.  Another intrusive knock struck the door.

These few lines make me want to know (1) who's knocking on the door while the baby and the grandfather sleep, and (2) what does that person want?   Here's the book's summary from Amazon:

Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge.  Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come.  Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father.  As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters — and their lively and loving community — bring them closer together than ever.  But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. Click here for today's Mister Linky.