Linda Balsamo

The Earl of Hampton Linda Balsamo

Based on 18th century French folklore, The Earl of Hampton takes you on a journey with a deaf boy, Joseph, who was found abandoned on the shores of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1856. Without the ability to communicate, the mystery surrounding his identity forces Joseph to languish in an asylum for two long years. Fate intervenes when a virus threatens Joseph?s life. He is transferred to a local hospital, where he meets Reverend Thomas, who vows to educate Joseph until his identity can be confirmed. The case leads the investigator, Captain Moore, to the wealthy estate of the late Earl of Hampton. Questions about identity, inheritance, and belonging are complicated by the relationship the Earl?s daughter, Lady Bethany, has with Charles DeFilip who may have had a role in the boy?s disappearance. The intrigue becomes a social scandal that threatens Lady Bethany?s standing among society?s elite. Giving up all hope that his sister will accept him, Joseph embarks on a journey of self-discovery, joining the Union Army early in the Civil War and experiencing life in a way he never knew was possible.