what people are saying about
"Redmond is an impeccable researcher, and she expertly conjures the sights and smells of St. John’s Island. Descriptions of scents, such as “freshly-pulled onions piled on carts, stacks of newly-mown hay, occasional whiffs of salt from the harbour, and musk of human and animal sweat,” immediately transport readers to another time and place. … lovers of historical fiction—particularly Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series—will find much to enjoy here. … a well-researched, engaging tale about a colonial island’s diverse inhabitants."
─Kirkus Reviews
"This book was a joy to read, interesting and entertaining. I looked forward to the time I spent with the inhabitants of St. John's Island. My only complaint is I didn't want the story to end."
─Whistler Independent Book Awards
In Bound, Theresa Redmond transports us convincingly to the colony of St. John’s Island in the late 1700s, and absorbs our attention with memorable characters: the main protagonist, Suzanna Torriano, an amateur botanist and new mistress of the colonial governor; Freelove, a pregnant enslaved woman; Pierre Gallant, an Acadian healer; the laudable Scottish laird Ian MacDonald; Quaker settlers; and Governor Patterson, a multifarious scoundrel who begrimes PEI’s colonial origins. With emotionally resonant and psychologically insightful writing, and with a firm grasp of social and economic dynamics – especially of race, gender, class, oppression, and privilege -- Redmond fills her characters with complex human substance. Narrative tension arises from Suzanna’s need to free herself from her exploitative situation and become an independent woman and scientist, and from her leadership of a campaign to save Freelove from her master’s false accusation of theft and a death sentence. Redmond’s expressive language, evocative descriptions, and persuasive historical grounding bring the place, era, and ever-present human conflicts, aspirations, tribulations, and triumphs vibrantly to life. |
"This book is an absolute masterpiece... You are bound to embark on a historical journey filled with a hazy atmosphere, vivid characters, and revolting themes with this thoughtful, dazzling, and page-turner book! ... We loved reading this book and highly recommend our followers to read this book to gain an understanding of the history as well as read the book for its story. You won’t regret reading Bound!"
─Book Nerdection, Reedsy's Top Reviewer for 2022
"I would double the stars for this book if I could because it was such an enjoyable read and although not presented as fact it brought forward parts of our history that have been buried in an effort to whitewash the uglier aspects of our past such as the slave owners and absentee landlords, the elitism that existed and the expulsion of the inhabitants of St Jean Island when the British acquired it. Also the treatment of the indigenous people that lived here and last but not least the ill use of women as chattel."
─Kathleen McRae, Goodreads
"I enjoyed reading Bound. Being familiar with the history was a plus, but the dialogue brought the characters to life."
─Scott Parsons, Musician
"Hilarious depictions of the devious womanizer and notoriously corrupt Governor Walter Patterson are worth the price of the book."
─Donald MacDonald, Scottish Society of Ottawa
"I loved loved loved the world building in this book. even though I consider myself a total city girl at heart, I wanted to go live on this tiny island in nature's lap. before the industrial revolution, before the metropolitan era, this was life."
─Arunima, Instagram
"I have always enjoyed historical fiction books, and Bound by Theresa Redmond set the bar high this year for any other historical fiction book. Bound takes place during the time of British settlers in Charlottetown in Canada. The story is beautifully written with much thought and care given to the story and characters. Suzanna, who comes to the island as the Governors mistress, is a wonderful strong female character that gradually plays a substantial role in shaping the island for the good of the people. There are multiple story lines weaved in the Governors complex person relationships and professional problems, the movement to free slaves, the role of women, and many others that are easy to follow. I would highly recommend as a great winter read for 2023."
─Sarah M. Frank
'This story was so beautiful and I became instantly invested in the plot, characters, and historical events of Prince Edward Island. There are so little historical fiction books about Canada... If you like historical fictions, you will really enjoy this powerful story.'
─Books and Cora
"Historical fiction meets social justice and female empowerment in this vivid re-imagining of the early British period on Prince Edward Island."
─Dr. Edward MacDonald, Professor of History, University of Prince Edward Island
"Bound immerses readers in the sights, sounds and smells of late 18th-century Charlottetown, capital of Prince Edward Island, when it was a few rather rough buildings on the eastern edge of Britain’s North American empire. ... Bound’s cast of characters includes women and men not usually given leading roles in traditional historical writing – the Mi’kmaq and Acadians who remained on the Island despite the change in European sovereignty; a diversity of Island settlers; enslaved blacks brought to the Island with their owners; and the heroine of the book, Suzanna Torriano. ... enjoy what the novel does so well -- combining sound historical research and a sympathetic imagining of daily life to create a more inclusive and thus truer telling of the Island’s past."
─Rusty Bittermann and Margaret McCallum, co-authors of Lady Landlords of Prince Edward Island: Imperial Dreams and the Defence of Property. Rusty Bittermann is also author of Sailor's Hope: The Life and Times of William Cooper, Agrarian Radical in an Age of Revolutions
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