Liberty Bazaar

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2015

"Shades of Charles Dickens' work ... this offbeat, refreshingly absorbing Civil War novel features impeccable research ... Along with the two well-drawn narrators, the novel boasts several wonderful secondary characters." - Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Liverpool, 1863: Newly arrived in England, wealthy liberals enlist Trinity, an escaped slave girl, in their campaign to abolish slavery and support Abraham Lincoln's Union. Jubal, a high-ranking Confederate officer, has arrived to find supporters and raise funds for the opposing side. When Trinity discovers a high-stakes conspiracy to win the war for the South, she must risk everything to stop it - including her new-found freedom. But who will believe a runaway slave? And who can she really trust?

David Chadwick is an experienced journalist and has been running his own journalism and public relations consultancy since 2001. Previously, he was a PR manager at global accountancy firm KPMG, and before that, a UK government press officer. He has held a number of senior editorial positions on daily newspapers across the UK and his freelance work has appeared in national titles from the Guardian to the Daily Mirror. Born and raised in Greater Manchester, David took a bachelor's degree in history and politics at Queen Mary, University of London, and a master's in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. David has co-written a non-fiction book about the Battle of the Atlantic, and jointly edited two short story collections. He has a life-long interest in maritime history and is a keen sailor. He lives with his family in Greater Manchester.

"Vivid description, elegant sentences, diligent research - the highly readable Liberty Bazaar has it all, proving that David Chadwick is the real deal, a serious writer with a serious talent." - Nicholas Royle, author of First Novel and Regicide.

"Liberty Bazaar is a joy to read. It plunges us straight into the nefarious doings of the American Civil War, through the distinctive voices of its two protagonists, Trinity Giddings and Jubal de Brooke. David Chadwick's sense of place and time is extraordinary, and he throws an entertaining slant on a complex and fascinating period of history. The writing is lyrical, lavishly detailed and witty, too. This is an immersive, powerful historical novel - one impossible to put down." - Sherry Ashworth, author of Good Recipes and Bad Women and Mental

"Chadwick's prose paints his shuffling urban milieu with a nose for detail, inhaling the rich tang of docklands crowds, the sweeping egalitarianism of street life forming a tragic backbone for the limitations of the rich. What really stands out, however, is the twin narrative, muddying the heroic waters yet acknowledging their existence in a time of violent opposition. It amounts to a revealing look at vested interests, and the fact that Britain has more blood on its hands than it would care to admit." - Joshua Potts, The Skinny

"David Chadwick's prose is brilliant in Liberty Bazaar. He pens a story about a familiar time in history, but gives the reader a different and fresh perspective. Most Civil War novels are set on the battleground or on the plantation. Adding a bizarre twist to a well known event, Chadwick highlights the plaguing effects of battle and slavery on the southern plantations by placing the narrative in Liverpool, England.... Chadwick writes eloquent descriptions by using illustrious metaphors and profound analogies. I especially liked the comparison of feminine attire with medieval armor. Liberty Bazaar is a wonderfully written story." - Cheryl E. Rodriguez, Readers' Favorite