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The Price for Liberty
by D.L. Larson
Outskirts Press
book review by Haley Koth, September 25, 2025
“Freedom had a price. And she was called Liberty.”
This seventh book in the Douglas Family Saga follows Ruf Douglas, Jim Frailey, Hattie Carter, and Liberty Frailey as they are once again thrown into a world where freedom comes at great cost. The action takes off immediately when Hattie is shot by an unknown assailant. She recovers but is left with residual anxieties exacerbated by her tenuous relationship with Ruf and Jim, whose daughter Liberty she has been raising as her own. Then, four years after Jim’s wife and Liberty’s mother, Shanna, is murdered by bounty hunters, Ruf is arrested for killing the man who tortured her. As Ruf stands trial, Jim faces his own demons and plunges into a passionate affair. Although Ruf is acquitted, the trial reveals Liberty’s true parentage as the daughter of a former slave, and she is sold into slavery while Jim is imprisoned. Heartbroken, Ruf sets out to find Liberty and bring her back. Jim barters for his own freedom by agreeing to act as a political spy, but his choices may threaten everything he holds dear.
This work is a continuation of an epic saga spanning generations of the Douglas and Frailey families. The author’s examination of delicate themes, including murder, assault, slavery, affairs, and heartbreak, is compassionate and thorough. Although the plot occasionally suspends disbelief, the reader is immediately drawn into the action. Both the endless action and delicious drama between characters engage readers from the initial scene all the way through to its surprising conclusion. Characters are true to life, three-dimensional, incredibly relatable, and wonderfully human. In addition to intrigue and rich character development, the author provides a deep historical context, supported by a well-researched background of pre-Civil War political unrest. In all, this is a fascinating tale of family, betrayal, fear, and the enduring power of love.
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| This review was written by a professional book reviewer with no guarantee that it would receive a positive rating. Some authors pay a small fee to have a book reviewed, while others do not. All reviews are approximately half summary and half criticism. The US Review of Books is dedicated to providing fair and honest coverage to all books. |
Hello everyone!
I hope you take a moment to read the great review I received from US Reviews.
DL Larson