Purchase For the Love of Minnie at these book retailers:
GooglePlay Book Store Audio Book
For the Love of Minnie follows the life of an African American woman whose strength rises from the red clay hills near Pulaski, Tennessee — birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan — where simply surviving is an act of courage. Minnie cooks, sings, works beside her father in the fields, and raises her children with unwavering devotion. She loves James, a white man and father of most of her children — a bond both tender and dangerous in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When she travels to Galveston in 1900 to help James’s family prepare for a wedding, Minnie is swept into the great storm, fighting to save lives amid devastating loss. Longing for legitimacy in a world that condemns her, she later turns to Henry, a mixed-race man of African descent, hoping that marriage will grant her the acceptance she craves. Instead, Henry proves unreliable, deepening her struggle between love, loyalty, and self-worth. Through friendship, music, motherhood, and quiet resilience, Minnie endures betrayal, racial peril, and heartbreak — her death as mysterious as the life she fought so hard to claim.
Minnie’s story is a romance set in a Southern village and features rural and small-town people. Minnie’s is an emotional journey for survival and independence.
Sample Chapter from The Love of Minnie
Chapter One
1900
Galveston, Texas
The water was cresting higher and higher. The wind threw pieces of wood, clothing, pans, rocks, whatever there was through the air. Minnie struggled to get her bearings.
She’d come to Galveston to cook for the Rhea family. Little Mary Rhea was to be married here. Minnie was the best cook and baker in Giles County, Tennessee.
So, they had invited her to come along to Galveston, Texas. She’d ridden the train down with some of the family and had brought some of her cake pans and the special flour she enjoyed using. She chided herself for thinking of the cake pans that were gone now – swept away by the rising salt water. Her brother, Arthur, had come along as well as James Rhea.
Her children had remained behind with her mother and grandmother. They had cautioned her to be careful. Her grandmother was particularly worried.
“Dreamt about you going down there,” her grandmother said. “No good going to come of it. If the wind picks up, you go to high ground.” Her grandmother was vague after that. She said very little, grumbling and fussing over Minnie as the days before the trip passed. But Easter packed many of the tinctures and other dried goods she felt Minnie needed. She also insisted that Minnie be allowed to bring Brownie, her faithful mixed draft horse. She and her grandmother had trained Brownie together.
Minnie told the Rheas she would not cook for them without Brownie. They allowed the horse to be boarded on the train to Galveston. When she arrived at the Avenue P home that Louise Rhea shared with her husband, William, and young son, she was shown the kitchen.
It had all she needed to begin cooking the dishes for the wedding. But she was cautioned not to begin until after the women had finished Little Mary’s dress. Mary’s mother, also named Mary, had decided that it was bad luck to begin cooking too far in advance of the wedding. But there would be many people attending. So, Minnie, who was put in charge of other cooks and bakers, began making those dishes that would keep for the two days that would pass before the wedding. Some of the other workers grumbled because Minnie, a Negro, would be telling everyone what to do.
At night, on September 7th, James knocked softly on her door so that no one heard him. She had been given rooms in a separate building on the property. The regular cook went home for the day, but Minnie remained behind to help with preparations.
“Are you all settled in?” he asked as he slipped his arms around her.
“No, no, I’m not,” Minnie said, nervously. “James, I think we should leave the island tonight and take everyone with us. There was a man on the beach today warning everyone to get out. I don’t have a good feeling about these warnings.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ve been considering the same thing, but Mother won’t hear of it. She wants to remain. She thinks this is just a minor blow. One of the neighbors convinced her of it.”
“I need to go,” Minnie said. “I can’t let Brownie stay here. What about Arthur?” James sighed and wiped a hand down his face.
“To be on the safe side, Arthur and William are trying to convince everybody to get to that large hotel at the back of the island. Before long, the water will be too high. I think your idea of getting off the island is a good one. William and Arthur are not having much luck at this point. Louise, her son and her husband, William, are going to the hotel. But mother, Annie and Little Mary think they need to stay here to continue preparing for the wedding.”
“I’m not going to wait,” Minnie said. “I’m taking Brownie and getting across the bay bridge while I can. If this is just a minor storm, you all can come get me at that Mrs. Bell’s place.” James put his arms around her.
“Don’t go just yet,” he whispered, pulling her to him.
Before the sun rose, Minnie and James had arranged for Arthur to get Mrs. Rhea, Louise, Annie and her family and Little Mary over to the hotel. James rode with Minnie over the bridge. He’d taken one of William’s horses and tethered two others to his saddle to make certain they were safe from the storm. However, Mrs. Rhea and Little Mary remained at the Avenue P house.
The Bell family were acquaintances with William’s family, so Minnie’s quick friendship with a colored woman she’d met on the train was a blessing. James planned to stable William’s horses with the Bell family, and he could make certain Minnie was safely on the other side of the bay. Water was high, and many people were struggling to get to high ground.
As they reached the other side of the bay, wind whipped up and threw wood and other debris at those in wagons and on horses that were screaming and struggling to make it to higher ground.
“What about Arthur?” Minnie shouted as James rode beside her on the other horse. The wind seemed to pick up, thrusting the travelers toward the mainland as they crossed the bridge. As usual, Brownie was as calm as he could be. A man who had lost his wagon tried to pull Minnie off her horse so that he could steal Brownie. Brownie nipped at the man as though he would bite. Minnie used a fist to slug the man in his jaw. He grabbed his face and glared at Minnie. But, he did not seem inclined to give up.
James pulled his horse back and rode between the man and Minnie. The night air was heavy with humidity, and the rain had begun lashing the travelers. It seemed that people were losing their minds in all the chaos of the storm. Finally, they reached the other side of the bridge, but the thing seemed to be shaking with the force of the waves and wind.
“I’ll send Arthur to you as soon as we get everyone safely inside the hotel,” James shouted over the wind. “Meanwhile, you find Mrs. Bell and stay with her.” He reminded her of directions to the Bell property. A piece of debris flew through the air, just missing James. He looked about him and noticed that no one cared that Minnie was a Negro and he was white; they cared about nothing but survival. He pulled Minnie to him and kissed her savagely.
“Stay on the mainland; I’ll be back,” he shouted. He untied the horses that he had tied to his saddle and handed the reins to Minnie. He pointed toward high ground. Minnie was stunned, her mouth open like a landed fish. Another piece of debris flew past them. That seemed to wake her from her shock. She took the reins of the two horses and kicked Brownie into a gallop.
On September 9th, news had made its way to New Orleans where Joe was staying for a while with his fiancé’s family; one of Joe’s friends had brought news to him knowing he would want to hear of his family’s circumstances. Normally, he received a telegram from his sister, Annie, or her husband, but it seemed there was no way for them to reach him. Or, he thought, the worst outcome was possible. Annie and her family, his sister, Louise, his mother, Mary Elizabeth, and his other sister, Little Mary, may have perished. He needed to get to Galveston to find his brother, James, and anyone else who could help him look for his family. Minnie and her brother, Arthur, were in Galveston helping the Rheas. Joe wondered whether the Bufords were able to get to high ground along with his mother and sisters.
His brother, James, had gone to make certain that all was ready for their sister’s big day. Almost the entire family had gone down to Galveston for Little Mary’s wedding. James was good at so many things, but especially at making sure people got where they needed to go. James was the brother closest to Joe. He couldn’t imagine that his brother had not survived that storm. Surely, he had made certain everyone was safe.
Sadie had remained behind in Pulaski, Tennessee, feeling that her son was too young to make the trip. Sadie, who’d also found news about the storm the day after it hit, gasped as she read the news. She had put little James down after feeding him and had come down to see whether there was anything she could do to help in the kitchen, but Mrs. Harwell had everything clean and put away. Sadie sat down hard on the settee.
Her in-laws were in Galveston for the wedding of James’s sister, Mary Sumpter Rhea, who they called Little Mary. Mary and their mother, Mary Elizabeth, and other family had gone to Galveston for the wedding. They were staying at her sister-in-law – Annie’s home in Galveston. Louise had gone down for the wedding ahead of everyone too.
Sadie handed the newspaper to Frank when he held out his hand for it and read and reread the newspaper. His hands trembled as he read. He turned to the fireplace and inhaled deeply; he began to perspire in his dark grey shirt and dark pantaloons.
Galveston 1900
Brownie was as reliable as they come. The Bell lady had let Minnie stable Brownie where he would be safe. She could go back to the island and help to get everyone to safety. She knew how to swim; her strength was well known at home. Maybe she could help. She paced the barn.
It was September 7th; the rain and wind had begun in earnest; locals were mixed on whether this was to be a bad storm or not. When the water began rising, Minnie made up her mind. She thought about her brother Arthur, her children back home with her mother and grandmother – Maggie, 10, Douglass, 9, Flournoy, 6, and Nellie, 3. She needed to be sure that she could get back home, but she wanted to be certain that Arthur and James would be safe too. She had to think for herself. The little shack where they had put her was a wood cabin. Its red paint had seen better days.
“Minnie, don’t go back,” Mrs. Bell said. The kind Mrs. Bell had come out to the barn to see whether Minnie needed anything. She waited a moment for the demand to register. Minnie was stubborn and had a mind of her own. It was not always guaranteed that she would do as ordered.
“They have to come home,” Minnie said. “I have to find my brother and James.”
Minnie stiffened, her calico dress, a dark blue, was covered with mud. “I’m going back to the Island,” she muttered. Mrs. Bell shook her head in distress, but helped Minnie get ready for the harrowing crossing.
To be added to Dale Marie’s newsletter email list, email her at dmarietaylor@gmail.com.
For the Love of Minnie and other books by the author, Dale Marie Taylor, are published by Narrativemagic Press. (narrativemagic.com)