“At heart, this is an American love story—not in the fairy-tale sense, but an enduring relationship between a man and a woman, a couple and a country.”

In this statement, Woo highlights a few of the various contexts of The Enduring Nature of Love that will be revealed through the Crafts’ story. Although the narrative begins with the strength of love between the couple, the story expands to include their love for others, themselves, and the country that challenged them at every turn.

“As he waited for Ellen, he could only pray that he would not lose her, as he had lost them.”

While living under slavery in the American South, William and Ellen did not have the luxury of pursuing the full breadth of their love for others. Even the love they had for themselves was constantly under scrutiny and challenge. The couple recognized that they could be separated at any moment. On their journey North, these fears were renewed in a different way. However, it was the intensity of their love that propelled them forward.

“William refused to let this man’s irreligion shake his own faith, which would be a powerful part of his parents’ legacy—that and their love, which would set a precedent for his own, lifelong union.”

William learned about the hypocrisy of enslaving piety from his enslaver, and this lesson also taught him about The Perseverance of True Faith. William’s enslaver was well respected and known for his generous donations to the church and willingness to help others. However, he sold William’s parents to two different enslavers, separating them from one another. William could not believe that a person who could so easily destroy the life and love of others answered to a higher calling.