By Shelbi LeMeilleur
In Robert Shearer’s novel Port Sullivan, he transports readers back to the South in a contentious era. The United States is on the brink of a civil war, and a Creole woman from New Orleans is traveling across the South via steamboat with her young son. As she ventures farther into Texas, her safety is more and more jeopardized. What follows is equal part adventure and history lesson of the deep South and a mode of transportation long ago passed.
Shearer describes Port Sullivan as a love letter to steamboats. He romanticizes the method of travel that was once prominent across the country, especially in the Brazos Valley. Not only is Port Sullivan a poignant tale of mother and son, but the steamboat makes its way through East Texas and on the Brazos River to the heart of the Brazos Valley. It gives local residents a new perspective on the history of the area.
Port Sullivan is available through Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M University Presses.
Are you a local author? Would you like your book to be featured in INSITE Magazine? Email shelbi@insitebrazosvalley.com for more information.
