Sam Houston and Eliza Allen: The Marriage and the Mystery

In 1829, incumbent Tennessee Governor Sam Houston and young Eliza Allen were happily wed. However, eleven weeks later, Allen inexplicably abandoned the marriage, creating a public scandal that drove Houston out of office and into exile, where he lived with the Cherokee tribe before cementing his legacy as leader of Texas' fight for independence from Mexico. Neither Houston or Allen ever revealed the source of their marital unhappiness despite decades of rumor and speculation.

Brush Square Museums Foundation's 3rd Annual Texana at Twilight speaker series event features Elizabeth Crook, multi-award winning Texas author, who will explain how she came to research and write her acclaimed first novel The Raven's Bride (1991) that unravels this dark romantic mystery while illuminating a vivid and fascinating moment in America’s past.

has written six novels. Her prose has been called “deftly rhythmic, often wry, and impeccably crafted” (Texas Monthly), “confident and lyrical” (Kirkus), her “words as carefully chosen as pearls on a matched necklace,” (USA Today) and holding “the sustained power of a drumbeat” (Houston Chronicle). In 2023 Elizabeth received the prestigious Texas Writer Award from the Texas Book Festival.

Weather permitting, the seating will be outside on the front lawn of the French Legation Historic Site located at 802 San Marcos St., Austin, TX. Refreshments are included with admission. Texana at Twilight is presented by the Brush Square Museums Foundation and the French Legation Historic Site. Proceeds support future community programs. A small parking lot is located at 900 East 9th street, but ample street parking is available near French Legation on San Marcos St., 9th Street, and Embassy Drive. Learn more at https://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/french-legation

Host or Publisher Brush Square Museums Foundation