Our Own Country: A Novel Summary
Jodi Daynard

Our Own Country: A Novel Overview

Jodi Daynard's Our Own Country is the story of Eliza Boylston, a wealthy young woman who discovers that life is often cold and heartbreaking even for a person with wealth and privilege on her side. She learns early about the uncertainties of life and the heartbreak of loss, and she begins to judge people on their merits rather than their social standing, which leads her to a love affair with a slave named John Watkins. Eliza bears John's son though they cannot live together as a family until they flee the country, ending up at the Barbados estate Eliza inherited from her father. The main themes are the uncertainties in life, the effects of war, and Eliza's relationships with Mrs. Boylston and Cassie.