Wild, Beautiful, and Free

A new Jane Eyre retelling has been published:

Wild, Beautiful, and Free: A Novel

by Sophfronia Scott 

Lake Union Publishing 

March 1, 2023

ISBN: 978-1662507458

From award-winning author Sophfronia Scott comes the story of one young woman’s bold journey to reclaim her birthright and carve out her own place in a world that tells her she doesn’t belong.

Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister―until her father suddenly dies. His vindictive wife refuses twelve-year-old Jeannette her inheritance and sells her into slavery.

Now on her own, Jeannette must fight the injustices she faces because of her mixed race. She escapes enslavement and travels from Mississippi to Philadelphia to New York to Ohio, all while searching for purpose, love, and her place in a country torn asunder by the burgeoning Civil War.

Everything seems to fall into place when she meets Christian Robichaud Colchester, the white proprietor of Fortitude Mansion, a safe haven for escaped slaves where Jeannette teaches. But despite their instant connection, Jeannette isn’t convinced she belongs in his circle.

In a world that tells her she doesn’t fit anywhere, Jeannette must decide what’s more important: bending to the expectations of others or embracing her true self.

The novel will be presented at the

Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT next March 7 at 7pm:

 Award-winning author and called “one of the best writers of her generation,” by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Sophfronia Scott is back with Wild, Beautiful, and Free, a fresh retelling of Jane Eyre that follows a mixed-race woman fighting for her freedom and her inheritance in a nineteenth century America that does not believe she deserves either. Joined by fellow award-winning author, Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, Scott will discuss her novel and how she brought the Civil War era to life and delivered a powerful story of perseverance, identity, and self-empowerment.