The provincial governor of colonial North Carolina promised religious freedom, and the Quaker community along the Eno River flourishes. That is, until the governor and his officials get greedy. Despite the intervention of the pacifist Quakers, the movement turns violent.

This is a work of fiction loosely based on the life of Mary Jackson, a real person about whom very little is known. When the story begins in 1750, Mary, a lively young Irish wife and mother, and her husband Isaac make the decision to move their family to the North Carolina wilderness. They are joined in this adventure by a large group, including brothers, cousins, and neighbors, mostly from eastern Pennsylvania.

            She and Isaac have a loving, joyful relationship. Life is hard, but it is also exciting. The Jacksons clear their land, build their home, and raise their growing family. Although she does not feel ready for the responsibility, Mary is appointed to serve as leader for the women in the Quaker meeting. She works tirelessly to support the area Quakers. New babies and weddings, building a meeting house and a small school, seeing the nearby town of Hillsborough growing, are all cause for celebration. Mary rises to the challenge of supporting friends and neighbors in the difficult times with sensitive insight and loving care. She looks forward to the time when her children are grown, and she can fulfill her dream of traveling in the Quaker ministry, perhaps even to Ireland.

            Too soon, their community is shattered. The British colonial governor demands more tax money so that he can build a palace many miles away. Corrupt government officials claim even more so that they can line their own pockets. Then the settlers’ crops are destroyed by a severe drought; tax collectors take household goods, livestock, and even entire farms pay back taxes. Farmers and small merchants rise in rebellion demanding an end to the corruption. War is threatened.

            Mary urges Quakers to remain faithful to the pacifist tenants of their faith. The women are unable to stop the violence. Some members of the meeting choose to join in the rebellion; many others move to Georgia or to the west to start over. The rebellion ends in a bloody battle.

As she works to bring the community back together, the drumbeats of the American Revolution reach the Piedmont. Mary needs all her spiritual strength to help her small Quaker meeting survive.

To Every Season was published in February, 2024