The Daughter of Shiloh by Terri J. Haynes

The Daughter of Shiloh
by Terri J. Haynes

ISBN-13: 9798891511996
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: October 1, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lealie Bevard, a determined Tuskegee Institute student, attends the Shiloh Baptist Church convention in Birmingham on September 19, 1902, to request a scholarship for continued education at Howard. But a beautiful gathering turns tragic when a stampede breaks out and Lealie is injured. While convalescing at the home of fellow Tuskegee student Milton Rafferty, Lealie’s concerns for her future are set aside to help Milton uncover a mystery revolving around missing church funds and a possible murder. Perhaps a pause in Lealie’s well-laid plans can be used for good and lead to love.


My Review:
The Daughter of Shiloh is a romance set in Alabama in 1902. Lealie is smart, and her home church (Shiloh Baptist Church) has paid for her to go to the Negro technical college, Tuskegee Institute. She's studying to be a nurse, but she applies for a scholarship to get a classical education at another college and become a lawyer. Milton's studying to be a doctor at Tuskegee Institute and is asked to attend the Baptist Church convention as an example of an excellent Tuskegee student. He's reluctant because the members of Shiloh Baptist Church blame him for his father's possible involvement in the arson that destroyed their first church. Both Lealie and Milton are present when someone cries "Fire!" in the crowded sanctuary and a panicked crowd trampled many to death.

Based on a true event, Lealie and Milton had to deal with their physical and mental injuries from the tragedy. They used their nursing knowledge to help the other injured, and then Lealie used her accounting skills to help deal with the incoming donations for the injured...and to uncover that someone's stealing from the donations. But how to prove it?

The main characters were likable and felt like real people, reacting realistically to events. Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of the time and place. Lealie and Milton supported each other and found healing. Lealie felt arrogantly confident of her bright future only to have that threatened by outside events. She came to realize that her plans were not God's plans. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting, well-written story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.