This novel, the first of the trilogy, is the story of Parson Sykes, the curiously enslaved teenager protagonist, whose historic self-liberation is followed by his enlistment in the Union Army. The story takes place in Southampton County, near the end of the American Civil War, on the farm of slave-holding Jacob Williams, the antagonist. During the 1831 Southampton Insurrection, the farm came under attack by Nat Turner and his insurgents, which still haunts Jacob. In the book, Parson and Ja...

Peter Mason is tortured at school, neglected at home, and trapped in a body that’s his worst enemy.“On The Outside Chance is a remarkable tale of resilience that showcases the indomitable nature of the human spirit and the fierce willpower that enables people to overcome overwhelming challenges.” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Pikasho Deka (5 STARS)EVOLVED PUBLISHING PROUDLY PRESENTS the story ...

The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes, A Novella, chronicles the true story of an enslaved man’s journey to freedom during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. In 1864, in Southampton County, Virginia, Parson Sykes, enslaved on Jacob Williams’ farm, secretly educates himself by salvaging newspapers from Boykins Depot. This forbidden knowledge fuels his desire for liberation, a resolve hardened by the oppressive conditions of the plantation and the distant sounds of wa...

The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes is a trilogy that profiles Private Parson Sykes' evolution from enslavement in Southampton County, Virginia, followed by his enlistment into the Union Army, and culminating with his emancipation and return to the county. The first novel in the trilogy, subtitled Enslavement in Southampton County, Virginia, takes place in 1864 near the end of the American Civil War on the slave-holding Jacob Williams' middle class family farm in Southampton County Virgini...

With the victorious end of the Civil War, Parson Sykes fulfilled his goal of self-liberation, but he grew frustrated with Reconstruction programs. At the suspension of open hostility, he recognized the need for complete emancipation. Following the defeat of the Confederacy, he must advance civil and human rights to gain real freedom. As post-war planning emerged, new challenges arose. Parson grew frustrated with the connivance practices in racial superiority and inferiority that hindered e...

Zen, Meaning, and Craft in Jane Hirshfield’s Poetry: Heartshoots is the first scholarly volume to be dedicated to the large body of work produced by North American Zen poet, Jane Hirshfield. The volume is co-authored by a Zen Buddhist scholar and a poetry scholar, who are both practising poets. Its five chapters cover format and structure; three fruitful approaches to the poetry; Zen and the problem of desire; Hirshfield’s response to the more-than-human world and her warnings to ...

Practical Sonochemistry: Applications of Power Ultrasound in Chemistry and Processing, Third Edition conveys the increasing growth in applications and equipment to power ultrasound. The book is written primarily for graduate students, postdoc researchers, and academics in applied chemistry and chemical engineering, as well as technicians and operators in relevant industry. Sonochemistry can do lots of amazing things in many different fields – but how and where do you start with applying it...

Life isn’t easy when you don’t fit the mould.Maisy Fowler knows all about not fitting in – it’s happened all her life. She can’t hold down a job, she feels inadequate socialising, and she’s constantly saying and doing things that come across as rude and selfish. So when, after being fired again, someone defecates on the roof of her ex-boss’s car, she immediately gets the blame.Maisy cannot believe people would think so low of her and in a desperate need to change her image,...

In the Return to Southampton County, the story ends with Parson accomplishing his mission and achieving his goal. Parson Sykes will buy property to farm and live by the principles he postulated: that all members of a society have equal standing in terms of political power and influence; you judge people based on their merits as opposed to their identity, such as race, gender and age; you allow for competition and choice via a system of equal opportunity; a system that uses taxes on the ric...

Enslavement in Southampton County, Virginia, the first installment of the trilogy, takes place in 1864, near the end of the American Civil War, on the slave-holding Jacob Williams' middle-class family farm. During the Southampton Insurrection, the farm came under attack by Nat Turner and his insurgents, an event that haunts Jacob. Before the Civil War began, Parson started discussing human rights and the political implications of abolishing slavery with his two brothers. In December 1864, ...

The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes: Enlistment in the Union Army by David J. Mason is a riveting historical fiction novel that places its protagonist at the heart of the Civil War's most challenging and transformative moments. At only seventeen, Parson Sykes is an African-American youth navigating from the oppressive "contraband of war" status to becoming a soldier in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) as a member of the XXV Army Corps. It's important to note that although The Self-Li...

The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes, A Novella, chronicles the true story of an enslaved man's journey to freedom during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. In 1864, in Southampton County, Virginia, Parson Sykes, enslaved on Jacob Williams' farm, secretly educates himself by salvaging newspapers from Boykins Depot. This forbidden knowledge fuels his desire for liberation, a resolve hardened by the oppressive conditions of the plantation and the distant sounds of war. After a tense c...