In antebellum Charleston, a Catholic priest grapples with doubt, his family's secret African ancestry, and his love for a slave owner's wife.

Joseph Lazare and his two sisters grow up believing their black hair and olive skin come from a Spanish grandmother—until the summer they learn she was an African slave. While his sisters make very different choices, Joseph struggles to transcend the flesh by becoming a celibate priest.

Then young Father Joseph meets Tessa Conley, a devout Irish immigrant who shares his passions for music and botany. Joseph must conceal his true feelings as Tessa marries another man—a plantation owner who treats her like property. Acting on their love for each other will ruin Joseph and Tessa in this world and damn them in the next.

Or will it?

NECESSARY SINS is the first book in the sweeping Lazare Family Saga that transports readers from the West Indies to the Wild West, from Charleston, Paris, and Rome into the depths of the human heart. Passion, prejudice, secrets, and a mother's desperate choice in the chaos of revolution echo through five generations. If you enjoyed THE THORN BIRDS or the novels of Sara Donati, dive into Elizabeth Bell's epic historical fiction today.

Finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship
Second Place in the Maggie Awards for Excellence in the category Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Praise for NECESSARY SINS:

"From the ashes of rebellion to heart-rending forbidden love, NECESSARY SINS is a work of art. Bell's voice is a refreshing addition to the genre, and the breadth of her research is impressive. A strong start to a promising series." — Jessica Cale, bestselling author of TYBURN

"A taut, compelling family drama with a fresh and intriguing setting. NECESSARY SINS will be a welcome read for fans of historical fiction." — Olivia Hawker, internationally bestselling author of THE RAGGED EDGE OF NIGHT

"A gripping family saga with complex characters, NECESSARY SINS is lushly detailed and beautifully written. I look forward to following the fortunes of this antebellum family in future volumes." — Susan Higginbotham, author of THE FIRST LADY AND THE REBEL

"In antebellum South Carolina young Joseph Lazare discovers a secret that would ruin his family. Driven to atone, he becomes a priest, only to fall in love with a married woman. In this carefully researched historical novel Bell examines the way race, religion and class weave a web that Joseph may never escape. A thoughtful, vividly imagined and engrossing historical novel, highly recommended." — Sara Donati, internationally bestselling author of THE GILDED HOUR

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