Ten Lives. One River. A nation still deciding who gets to be free.
Carving out a canal around the Great Falls of Virginia in the early 1800s was a monumental feat–but no greater than the struggle to carve out freedom in a nation that reserved rights for the privileged few. As the canal takes shape along the Potomac, ten people undertake their own journeys to define liberty, proving that the pursuit of freedom —like the river itself — never stops carving, never stops chasing, and never truly changes, no matter the intentions behind it.
This historical fiction novel is in the final stages of editing and is expected to be completed before the end of the year. This first book, in what will be a series, is set in Matildaville, Virginia — a canal town envisioned by George Washington and Henry “Lighthouse” Lee as the center of the new American nation, before Washington, D.C. was even imagined. From 1801 to 1806, against a backdrop of fragile nationhood and grand ambition, ten unforgettable characters seek liberty in its many forms—through moral conviction, communal support, and the consequences of past choices.
Each chapter unfolds as a self-contained story told from a different character’s perspective. Chasing Freedom reveals the personal histories that shape their present choices. These backstories—whether rooted in enslavement, ambition, loss, or longing—illuminate how each character comes to define liberty on their own terms. While grounded in early American history, the novel resonates with today’s political polarization, inviting reflection on who gets to define freedom—and who is left behind.
The novel will appeal to readers who enjoyed the structural inventiveness of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout and the emotional depth of character-driven historical fiction, such as America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie.
If you have read Chasing Freedom, I’d be truly grateful if you would consider leaving a review on Amazon. Your words mean more than you know.
Cover — National Park Service
In shaping Peter of Chasing Freedom into a character who loves animals and finds his place as a stable boy, I dug deeply into the history of horse racing in the late 1700s and early 1800s. That research led me to an extraordinary source: The Great Black Jockeys by Edward Hotaling.On its cover is a…
One of the most interesting figures I stumbled upon while researching the Myers Tavern at Matildaville was Congressman Manasseh Cutler. His published journals contain one of the few surviving references to the Widow Jane Myers, which gave me some of the only factual grounding I had for her character. That single detail sent me down…
Chasing Freedom is just beginning its journey into the world, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has picked up a copy, shared a supportive word, or entered the world of Matildaville with me. Your support means more than I can say. I didn’t write this novel to make money. I wrote it to share…
I’ve already begun work on my next historical fiction novel, Chasing Wealth, which is shaping into the second book in what I now realize is a series set along the Potomac. The research is well underway, and I am learning so much about the C&O Canal, the Great Falls Tavern in Maryland, and the bustling, complicated city of Baltimore during the Gilded Age.
I’ve narrowed the setting to 1881-1889, a period full of ambition, inequality, invention, and upheaval– a perfect stage for the nine character timelines I’ve started to build. Each one is already surprising me, and there is still a great deal of research ahead.
As part of immersing myself in the era, I’ve been reading bestsellers from that time. One that I recently finished was Little Lord Fauntleroy. Most people know it only for the iconic outfit that became a shorthand for a well-dressed child, but the story itself has far more depth than expected. If you’ve never read it, I recommend picking up a copy–it carries some lovely lessons and a surprising amount of heart. Something we all need a little of these days.
Rebecca Royer
I have lived most of my sixty years in the DC- Maryland-Virginia region, raising two children, commuting, and hiking along the Potomac River. After a thirty-year career at the Federal Reserve, culminating in a director-level role, I retired to pursue my lifelong passion for storytelling. Although I majored in Accounting and Economics, historical fiction has been my lens for understanding the human experience. I have shared thirty-two years of marriage to my best friend — a partnership that has shaped my own view of love and resilience. Chasing Freedom is my first novel.
