Author Releases New Novel Inspired by Great-Grandparent Who Was a Literary Figure
Nationwide — Andrea Blackstone has created a platform to honor her ancestors, celebrate her personal identity, showcase her artistic projects, and keep history alive. AndreaBlackstone.com was developed because Blackstone wanted to prevent her ancestors’ plight from being forgotten. The first book in her new Black Water Cove series, The World We Left Behind, was inspired by Queen Jackson Haley, a multiracial enslaved woman whose father was a Confederate Colonel.
A miniseries and book based on Queen’s life in the 1990s was written by Alexander Murray Palmer Haley, author of Roots, and David Stevens. However, Blackstone is a next-generation storyteller who has worked as a journalist for fifteen years. She continues the elements of the story about her great-grandmother, Queen.
“In an era when historical stories are at risk of being silenced, The World We Left Behind is a reimagined story that underscores the struggles of enslaved people, and the intertwined lives of their enslavers and even abolitionists who could have been related to people who disagreed with their support of anti-slavery. As a descendant of the Forks of Cypress plantation in Alabama, I do not want history to slip between the world’s fingertips.”
She continues, “Biracial and multiracial children born on plantations to enslaved mothers and white plantation owners or overseers faced additional challenges while being left fatherless in the world’s eyes. I incorporated the reality that white, absent fathers often escaped legal or moral accountability despite their creation of children they owned. However, Queen grew up at the Forks of Cypress plantation. This leads me to acknowledge that Colonel James Jackson III had some sort of concern for his daughter.”
Additionally, slave ownership sometimes included white women, not just white men.
“I write about a slaveholding couple who infringed on the agency of people together while increasing their Southern wealth,” said Blackstone.
In Blackstone’s family tree, Queen’s husband, Alec Baugh Haley (who has also been known as Alex), was the son of an overseer. Simon Alexander Haley, who was Blackstone’s grandfather and author Alex Haley’s father, was one of Queen and Alec’s sons. Simon Haley, who served in World War I, became a professor of agriculture. He taught at numerous HBCUs and lent support to Black farmers. Blackstone’s late mother, Lois Ann Haley Blackstone (Butts), passed down her love of family history and resilience to her daughter, Andrea. She was Simon’s daughter and Alex Haley’s lesser-known half-sister.
“My mother was a keeper of history who organized photographs and memorabilia. She took pristine care of family articles and displayed images of our ancestors in the living room. I inherited Queen’s photograph. I am honoring my mother and her bloodline through the written word and through art. She told me that she faintly remembered her grandmother, Queen. This reminded me that Black and white American families can be connected through DNA. If we face this truth, perhaps some of us can move forward together,” said Blackstone.
After penning The World We Left Behind, Blackstone painted artwork, crafted inspirational sayings, and turned them into attractive journals while connecting them to characters in her novel. Additionally, another one of Blackstone’s books, For Such a Time as This, provides a blend of poetry, Bible verses, and journal prompts.
“I hope to inspire people to indulge in self-care through slowing down to journal or using art to heal. I plan to write an array of stories that will preserve history,” said Blackstone.
All of Blackstone’s recent projects will be released between August 7- 13, 2025, to honor various people in her mother’s family who have upcoming birthdays.
“I look forward to connecting with a broader audience and reminding people who are interested in family history to feel proud of the legacies that preceded them, regardless of their circumstances. In my opinion, everyone should dig for at least one ancestor who inspires them. It is empowering,” Blackstone said.
Books and journals will be sold on Amazon and through other retailers. The eBook version of The World We Left Behind is now available for preorder on Amazon.
For more information about Blackstone and her projects, visit her official website at AndreaBlackstone.com
For press inquiries, contact 804-834-7718 or theandreablackstone@gmail.com
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