Paperback. Why is an epic story, 1838-1863, chronicling the lives of two sisters, one White, the other Black, both born in 1847, three days apart, on Virginia's wealthy Rosewood Plantation. The White sister is the child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Billings, master and mistress of Rosewood, one of the richest cotton plantations in the state of Virginia. The Black girl is the issue of the mating of Henry Billings, the master of the Rosewood Plantation, and one of his female Black slaves.While growing up together, one a slave, the other her mistress, in the slave-holding antebellum South, sharing many childhood experiences, the girls are forced to adhere to the harsh rules and laws that separate White from Black.Henry and Margaret Billings hire a recent college graduate, Miss Eleanor Leary, a young progressive, Irish immigrant, to tutor their children, Rebecca and her brother, Jesse. Despite her fear of breaking the laws that prohibit the teaching of slaves to read and write, Eleanor, at Rebecca's request, decides to include the Black slave girl Mandy in their sessions. A whole new world is opened for Mandy. Through the teachings and the eyes of the White teacher, Mandy slowly, gradually, discards her insidious, lifelong feelings of racial inferiority, and self-loathing. Feelings and assumptions that Mandy had harbored and accepted from birth were now being replaced by developing feelings of racial pride and personal self-esteem.The novel examines three coexisting 19th-century American cultures: the privileged world of the South's antebellum slave holding, White Planter Society; the oppressed communities of the Black slaves; and the noble, nomadic hunter-gatherer society of the plains Indians. The turbulent events of this time in American history results in the two sisters finding themselves living in and experiencing the three cultures, and one sister is forced to choose between her lifelong love for her sibling and the love that develops between her and a Comanche Warrior. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9798903339457

Contact seller

Report this item

Bibliographic Details

Title: Why (Paperback)
Publisher: Marvin V. Blake
Publication Date: 2026
Language: English
ISBN 13: 9798903339457
Binding: Paperback
Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Why is an epic story, 1838-1863, chronicling the lives of two sisters, one White, the other Black, both born in 1847, three days apart, on Virginia's wealthy Rosewood Plantation. The White sister is the child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Billings, master and mistress of Rosewood, one of the richest cotton plantations in the state of Virginia. The Black girl is the issue of the mating of Henry Billings, the master of the Rosewood Plantation, and one of his female Black slaves.

While growing up together, one a slave, the other her mistress, in the slave-holding antebellum South, sharing many childhood experiences, the girls are forced to adhere to the harsh rules and laws that separate White from Black.

Henry and Margaret Billings hire a recent college graduate, Miss Eleanor Leary, a young progressive, Irish immigrant, to tutor their children, Rebecca and her brother, Jesse. Despite her fear of breaking the laws that prohibit the teaching of slaves to read and write, Eleanor, at Rebecca's request, decides to include the Black slave girl Mandy in their sessions. A whole new world is opened for Mandy. Through the teachings and the eyes of the White teacher, Mandy slowly, gradually, discards her insidious, lifelong feelings of racial inferiority, and self-loathing. Feelings and assumptions that Mandy had harbored and accepted from birth were now being replaced by developing feelings of racial pride and personal self-esteem.

The novel examines three coexisting 19th-century American cultures: the privileged world of the South's antebellum slave holding, White Planter Society; the oppressed communities of the Black slaves; and the noble, nomadic hunter-gatherer society of the plains Indians. The turbulent events of this time in American history results in the two sisters finding themselves living in and experiencing the three cultures, and one sister is forced to choose between her lifelong love for her sibling and the love that develops between her and a Comanche Warrior.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

APOLLO ONLINE CORP.
605 Geddes Street, Wilmington, DE, 19805, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We guarantee the condition of every book as it�s described on the Abebooks web sites. If you�ve changed
your mind about a book that you�ve ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us
and we�ll respond within 2 business days.
Books ship from California and Michigan.

Right of withdrawal

If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.

Information regarding the right of withdrawal

Statutory right to withdraw

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.

Effects of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.

We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.

We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.

You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, Illinois, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

The right of withdrawal does not apply to:

The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.

Shipping Terms

Orders usually ship within 2 business days. All books within the US ship free of charge. Delivery is 4-14 business days anywhere in the United States.

Books ship from California and Michigan.

If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	6 to 16 business days	6 to 14 business days
First item	� 0.00	� 0.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.