On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon

Set amidst the backdrop of mid-19th century America, this novel follows Emma Garnet Tate’s journey from privilege to self-discovery, exploring her complex relationship with her family's history tied to slavery. Narrated from her perspective in 1900, Emma recounts her life—from childhood on a James River plantation to her marriage in Raleigh—against the upheaval of the Civil War. Through her experiences assisting her surgeon husband Quincy, she gains a deeper understanding of the war's true human toll, leading her to a path of personal reconstruction in Boston. The story offers a nuanced meditation on love, conflict, and the divisions within the human heart.