Carolina Gold

Acclaim for Dorothy Love

“
Carolina Gold
is a beautifully written story of love rising from the ashes of war. Readers will instantly warm to Charlotte, a courageous young woman set on restoring her family’s rice plantation after the ravages of the Civil War, and they will marvel at Love’s unerring eye for detail as she brings the historical lowcountry—with all of its wonder and mystery—to life.

—B
ETH
W
EBB
H
ART, BEST-SELLING

AUTHOR OF
M
OON
O
VER
E
DISTO

“Lovers of historical fiction and the South Carolina lowcountry will enjoy the world of
Carolina Gold
. Dorothy Love’s well-researched tale reflects of one woman’s steadfast determination to rebuild a life among the ashes of the post-war South.”

—L
ISA
W
INGATE, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF

T
HE
P
RAYER
B
OX
AND
T
HE
S
EA
G
LASS
S
ISTERS

“With well-drawn characters and just enough suspense to keep the pages turning, this winning debut will be a hit with fans of Gilbert Morris and Lauraine Snelling.”

—
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
STARRED REVIEW

OF
B
EYOND
A
LL
M
EASURE

“You’ll adore this book from beginning to end. The story will capture your heart from the first line.”

—
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
, 4 ½
STAR REVIEW

OF
B
EYOND
A
LL
M
EASURE

“[
Every Perfect Gift
] is certainly a gift to readers.”

—
P
UBLISHERS
W
EEKLY

“Beautifully written and with descriptions so rich I’m still certain I caught a whiff of magnolia blossoms as I read.
Beyond All Measure
is pure Southern delight! Dorothy Love weaves a stirring romance that’s both gloriously detailed with Tennessee history and that uplifts and inspires the heart.”

—T
AMERA
A
LEXANDER, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

OF
T
HE
I
NHERITANCE
AND
W
ITHIN
M
Y
H
EART

“Soft as a breeze from the Old South and as gentle as the haze hovering over the Great Smokies, the gifted flow of Dorothy Love’s pen casts a spell of love, hate, and hope in post–Civil War Tennessee. With rich, fluid prose, characters who breathe onto the page, and a wealth of historical imagery,
Beyond All Measure
will steal both your heart and your sleep well beyond the last page.”

—J
ULIE
L
ESSMAN, BEST-SELLING

AUTHOR OF
A H
OPE
U
NDAUNTED

“Find a porch swing, pour yourself a tall glass of lemonade: [
Beyond All Measure
] is the perfect summer read!”

—S
IRI
M
ITCHELL
,
AUTHOR OF
A H
EART
M
OST
W
ORTHY

“Dorothy Love captures all the romance, charm, and uncertainties of the postbellum South, delighting readers with her endearing characters, historical details, and vivid writing style.”

—M
ARGARET
B
ROWNLEY, AUTHOR OF
A L
ADY

L
IKE
S
ARAH
,
REGARDING
B
EYOND
A
LL
M
EASURE

“
Beauty for Ashes
is a touching story about finding joy and healing in the midst of heartache. Set in the small town of Hickory Ridge, Dorothy Love takes readers on a beautifully written journey into the heart of the South during the years that followed the Civil War. As her characters search for healing, they must choose to either cling to the past or trade the bitterness in their hearts for love.”

—M
ELANIE
D
OBSON, AWARD-WINNING

AUTHOR OF
T
HE
S
ILENT
O
RDER
AND
L
OVE

F
INDS
Y
OU IN
L
IBERTY
, I
NDIANA

“Dorothy Love paints a vivid picture of the post–Civil War South [and] the need to rebuild hope. And she does it beautifully . . .”

—C
ATHY
G
OHLKE, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF

P
ROMISE
M
E
T
HIS
,
REGARDING
B
EAUTY FOR
A
SHES

Also by Dorothy Love

The Hickory Ridge novels

Beyond All Measure

Beauty for Ashes

Every Perfect Gift

© 2013 by Dorothy Love

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

Scripture quoted in chapter 4 is Psalm 71:19, quoted from the Psalter of the 1728
Book of Common Prayer
(in use at the time this book was set). Text can be found at http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1928/Psalms2.htm.

Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Love, Dorothy, 1949-

Carolina gold / Dorothy Love.

pages cm

Summary: “The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte’s struggle has just begun. Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father’s once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue his tradition of growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick’s quest to prove his ownership of Fairhaven sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a family mystery. and threatens all that she holds dear. Inspired by historical events, Carolina Gold weaves together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world”-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4016-8761-8 (pbk.)

1. Women plantation owners—Fiction. 2. Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)—South Carolina—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3562.O8387C37 2013

813'.54—dc23

2013025299

Printed in the United States of America

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