All We Were Promised

The paths of three young Black women in pre–Civil War Philadelphia unexpectedly—and dangerously—collide in this debut novel inspired by the explosive history of a divided city.

Get Your Copy A moving story of the heart’s cry for independence, regard, and honor—deftly told. So relevant to the current moment and yet fully transportive to the complex years before the Civil War. A truly impressive debut.

Susan Meissner

Bestselling Author of Only the Beautiful

Against the backdrop of untold history, Ashton Lattimore spins a beguiling story of friendship, deception, and women crossing boundaries in the name of freedom.

Lisa Wingate

#1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends

Once in a rare while a book comes along that is so compelling it’s impossible to put down. … Nineteenth century America has never felt so gripping or alive.

Michelle Moran

International bestselling author of Nefertiti

The stories of Nell, Charlotte and Evie brilliantly meld with the story of Philadelphia itself … I highly recommend this important, beautiful book.

Tara Conklin

New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics, The House Girl and Community Board

Meet Ashton

Ashton Lattimore is an author, award-winning journalist and a former lawyer. Her debut historical fiction novel, All We Were Promised (Ballantine Books) will be released in 2024. By day, she is the editor-in-chief at Prism, a nonprofit news outlet whose work centers on communities of color. Her nonfiction writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, Slate, CNN, and Essence. She is a graduate of Harvard College, Columbia Journalism School, and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. A New Jersey native, Ashton now lives in suburban Philadelphia with her husband and two sons. 

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