West of Santillane - by Brook Allen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

With her gaze ever westward, Julia possesses a hunger for knowledge and a passion for helping others. She falls in love with Will's strength and generous manner, but, like her parents, he is a slave owner, and Julia harbors strong opinions against slavery. Still, her love for Will wins out, though he remains unaware of her beliefs.

Julia finds St. Louis to be a rough town with few of the luxuries to which she is accustomed, harboring 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, Julia struggles to assume the roles of both wife and mother. She is also drawn into the plight of an Indian family desperate to return to their own lands and becomes an advocate for Will's enslaved.

When political rivals cause trouble, Julia's clandestine aid to the Indians and enslaved of St. Louis draws unwanted attention, placing her at odds with her husband. Danger cloaks itself in far too many ways, leading 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.

Review Quotes

"An engaging story, skillfully told."

Pam Lecky, author of The Sarah Gillespie Series

Stunning. With meticulous research and top-notch storytelling, Brook Allen brings an unsung heroine of American history to vivid life. West of Santillane offers a mesmerizing portrait of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's star players, told from a woman's perspective. This is a tale to savor, and at its heart is the complicated, brave, and big-hearted Julia Hancock Clark. Kudos to Brook Allen for rescuing William Clark's little-known wife from the shadows of history. A thoroughly satisfying read. Highly recommended.

Amy Maroney, author of the Sea & Stone Chronicles

West of Santillane is a stunning journey of exploration, challenge, courage, and love on America's 19th-century western frontier. West of Santillane transports you to a world where freedom lies beyond unlimited horizons, for those who dare to travel. An extraordinary novel of Lewis & Clark, through the eyes of the woman who loved them both. An unforgettable journey through the eyes of Julia Clark, West of Santillane crackles with energy, discovery, and the courage to confront the unknown. A beautifully written, empathetic novel of Lewis and Clark and the woman who shared their journey, West of Santillane delivers on every frontier. Extraordinary. Ms Allen has discovered the unknown story of a woman on America's raw frontier and tells it with gut-wrenching emotion. Engrossing and provocative.

Elizabeth St. John, author of The Godmother's Secret

CATHERINE MEYRICK: West of Santillane is a beautifully written and fascinating novel that draws from history's shadows a woman known to many only as a name, the wife of explorer William Clark. Brook Allen brings Julia Hancock to vivid life as a cultured woman of strength and of character. The novel is also a heart-felt tribute to Julia, and the women like her, who left behind ordered, comfortable lives and, alongside their husbands and families, settled the American frontier. Meticulous and compelling.

Catherine Meyrick, author of Cold Blows the Wind

Dr. Wendy Dunn: Through immense research, Allen has crafted a wonderful, vivid and heart-touching tale about Julia Hancock, the young woman who became the first wife of the famous explorer William Clark. Set in America at the turn of the 19th century, this coming of age story takes us back to the early years of America's independence - a time when women were chattels of their husbands. But Allen shows us in her engaging, empathetic novel that a woman's life can be one of adventure and discovery, too.

Dr. Wendy J. Dunn, author of The Light in the Labyrinth