The Rice Birds - by Lindy Keane Carter (Paperback)

About the Book

In 1849, twin sisters fleeing Ireland's famine arrive at New York's seaport. Only one -- Nora-is allowed to get on the boat to South Carolina to fulfill her work contract. On her master's vast rice plantation, an enslaved worker -- Pearl -- befriends her. After one of them commits a crime, the girls flee to Charleston, a dangerous place for runaways. Nora frantically seeks to get back to her twin and Pearl tries to find her mother before heading north. Meanwhile, an old enemy's illegal transatlantic scheme is about to derail the girls' plans.

Book Synopsis

In 1849, twin sisters fleeing Ireland's famine arrive at New York's seaport. Only one - Nora - is allowed to get on the boat to South Carolina to fulfill her work contract. On her master's vast rice plantation, an enslaved worker - Pearl - befriends her. After one of them commits a crime, the girls flee to Charleston, a dangerous place for runaways. Nora frantically seeks to get back to her twin and Pearl tries to find her mother before heading north. Meanwhile, an old enemy's illegal transatlantic scheme is about to derail the girls' plans.

Review Quotes

"Like the hunted rice birds of South Carolina's Lowcountry, two desperate women-an Irish indentured servant and an enslaved servant-flee antebellum Charleston in this meticulously researched and beautifully crafted odyssey to freedom. I loved it."

- Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of 27 books, including The Beach House series