
Necessary Sins
Lazare Family Saga, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Dallin Bradford
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By:
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Elizabeth Bell
In 19th-century Charleston, a Catholic priest grapples with his secret African ancestry and his love for a slaveholder’s wife.
Joseph Lazare grows up believing his black hair and olive skin come from a Spanish grandmother, and he’s shocked to learn she was an enslaved African. At 13, Joseph allows racial prejudice to limit his future and chooses the seminary. At 23, he is ordained “a priest forever”.
When he meets Tessa Conley, a devout Irish immigrant who shares his passions for music and botany, Joseph’s ordered world cracks at its foundation. He must conceal his true feelings as Tessa marries another man—a plantation owner who treats her like property.
Acting on their love could ruin Joseph and Tessa in this world and damn them in the next. Can two broken people heal each other and find heaven on earth—or will there be hell to pay?
Necessary Sins is the first book in the Lazare Family Saga quartet. If you like character-rich dramas, vivid period detail, and heart-wrenching choices, then you’ll be swept away by this epic series, perfect for fans of The Thorn Birds and Outlander.
©2019 Jennifer Becker (P)2022 Elizabeth BellListeners also enjoyed...




















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Necessary Sins
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The narration is equally amazing. The narrator is adept at a wide variety of accents expressed in dialects particular to each character. And he sings several songs, as well!
Outstanding Historical Fiction
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Enjoyed the narrator
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Understand this is told from a Roman Catholics POV in the 19th century and for those who don’t enjoy historical fiction novels involving religion and faith…you should probably skip HF all together!
Exquisitely researched and perfect for this timeline. Looking forward to reading the rest of these magnificent characters!
Full of Culture in the 19th Century
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Picking up McCullough's Baton
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𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨!
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The book begins with the original Lazare family in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) when the French still ran that country. The setting then shifts for the majority of the book to pre Civil War Charleston, South Carolina.
There are a LOT of family secrets that have come from Saint-Domingue that effect the Lazare family.
Joseph is the main subject of this book who becomes a Catholic priest because he doesn’t want his true family lineage to be known.
He meets and falls in love with an Irish woman, Tessa, whose brother marries Joseph’s sister. But Joseph is a priest and Tessa marries a wealthy Charlestonian.
There is other family drama which leads Tessa and her husband to raise Joseph’s niece and nephew..
The historical components of this book and the historical events mentioned in this read are fascinating and makes me feel like I’m reading an authentic account into someone’s family tree.
Be mindful that this time in history in these settings can be disturbing in the attitude and treatment of slaves, those with disabilities, and women.
The narrator does a beautiful job and I’ve added the other 3 books in the series to my TBR.
Great Family Saga
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Intriguing historical novel
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The story is mainly about a deeply religious Joseph Lazare. As he starts to enter puberty, his attraction to women deeply disturbs him. He observes his father in a private act, which affects his relationship with his father. He decides to enter the priesthood and continues to be very devout, even though multiple family tragedies and his love for a woman that he knows he can never tell of his love.
This is an epic story and it's just the first of 4 in the series. This book is definitely for mature readers.
I listened to the incredibly well narrated audio version of the book. I was impressed with narrator's ability to voice each character separately. I highly recommend the audio version of this book.
Epic story about a religious young priest
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The novel quickly assures you that this is not a bodice-ripper romance novel. It is a character driven historical saga grounded in history. There is tragedy and brutal violence in the first hour. The story moves quickly, spanning decades but each act is fully developed. I didn't think I'd like this kind of pacing, but Bell makes it work fluidly.
The writing is truly exceptional and pulls you into the world. I was a little intimidated reading a historical-fiction novel. My history education ended in the 12th grade and has a thick coat of rust. My fears were unfounded as Bell builds the world cleanly, seamlessly meshing historical events with the fictional elements - I had no idea some of the events and people were historical until the author's afterward. Just a truly beautiful novel.
I was leery of a self-published audio book. Quality audio equipment and accomplished narrators aren't cheap. Dalin Bradford's performance was beyond exceptional. He did a great job keeping every character's voice distinct. His accents were perfect for an audiobook - enough to get the flavor without forcing you to strain to understand him. The technical quality was damn impressive too - crystal clear audio with no hisses or pops.
Anyway long story short: loved it even with the lack of space dragons.
A lovingly crafted story. No space dragons.
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