Tag: slavery

Cane River by Lalita Tademy

Gilbert1 Comment

About the book

Set among the plantations in deepest Louisiana, CANE RIVER follows the lives of five generations of women from the time of slavery in the early 1800s into the early years of the 20th century. From down-trodden, philosophical Suzette, who was born and died a slave, to educated, pale-skinned Emily, whose high ambitions born in freedom become her downfall, we are introduced to a remarkable cast of characters whose struggles reflect the tragedy of slavery and, ultimately, the triumph of the spirit. This deeply personal saga – based entirely on the author’s research into her own family history – ranks with the best African-American novels and introduces a major new writer.

Reviewed by U3A Book Club 2

All enjoyed this book. Very interesting, especially how the women manipulated their masters. A good read about slavery”

star rating ****

 

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Black Rock by Amanda Smyth

Gilbert1 Comment

About the book

Celia’s mother died bringing her into the world – when one soul flies in, another flies out, her aunt Tassi says. So she lives in Black Rock, Tobago, with her cousins and Tassi’s second husband Roman, a man so sly he could crawl under a snake’s belly on stilts. Celia thinks he’s the devil, so when he does something that proves her right, she runs away to Trinidad and a new life in service.

 

Reviewed by Sandy’s Reading Group

“A readable book with well-drawn characters – even the most sympathetic of whom were flawed. Well crafted plot lines although some predictability, but with a strong narrative drive that made you want to read to the end,”

star rating – ****

 

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12 years a slave by Solomon Northup

Gilbert2 Comments

About the book

Born a free man in New York State in 1808, Solomon Northup was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., in 1841. He spent the next 12 years as a slave on a Louisiana cotton plantation, and during this time he was frequently abused and often afraid for his life. This is his detailed description of slave life and plantation society.

Reviewed by The Benches

Interesting and almost a horror story. Too much detail in some parts but an easy read and it uncovers slavery from the inside. Most of our readers rated it 3 stars and the rest 2 stars.

Star rating: ***

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The last runaway by Tracy Chevalier

Gilbert5 Comments

About the book

When Quaker Honor Bright sails from Bristol with her sister, she is fleeing heartache for a new life in America, far from home. But tragedy leaves her alone and vulnerable, torn between two worlds and dependent on the kindness of strangers, and life in 1850s Ohio is precarious and unsentimental.

Review by Oliver’s Battery WI

We really enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book. Not only was it a plausible plot but educational too. We’re all thinking of taking up quilting this winter! Pick up a copy, hope you enjoy it too.

Star rating: ****

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Beloved by Toni Morrison

Gilbert3 Comments

About the book

Terrible, unspeakable things happened to Sethe at Sweet Home, the farm where she lived as a slave for so many years until she escaped to Ohio. Her new life is full of hope but eighteen years later she is still not free. Sethe’s new home is not only haunted by the memories of her past but also by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

Reviewed by Ace of spades Reading group:

Remarkably well written. Thought provoking and challenging read. Could be used as a study book as different views can be discussed.

Star rating: ***

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Property by Valerie Martin

Gilbert3 Comments

About the book

Manon Gaudet is unhappily married to the owner of a Louisiana sugar plantation. She misses her family and longs for the vibrant lifestyle of her native New Orleans, but most of all, she longs to be free of the suffocating domestic situation. The tension revolves around Sarah, a slave girl who may have been given to Manon as a wedding present from her aunt, whose young son Walter is living proof of where Manon’s husband’s inclinations lie.
This private drama is being played out against a brooding atmosphere of slave unrest and bloody uprisings. And if the attacks reach Manon’s house, no one can be sure which way Sarah will turn . . .
Beautifully written, PROPERTY is an intricately told tale of both individual stories and of a country in a time of change, where ownership is at once everything and nothing, and where belonging, by contrast, is all.

Reviewed by Barnfield Book Club:

An intense, brooding, many layered novel. Well worth reading.

Star rating: ****

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The Long Song by Andrea Levy

Gilbert3 Comments

About the book

The child of a field slave on the Amity sugar plantation, July lives with her mother until Mrs. Caroline Mortimer decides to move her into the great house and rename her ‘Marguerite.’ Surviving through violent and chaotic times, July is taught to read and write so that she can help her mistress run the business, but remains bound to the plantation despite her ‘freedom.’ It is the arrival of a young English overseer, Robert Goodwin, that will dramatically change both their lives.

Reviewed by North Baddesley WI Group 2:

This book was enlightening and described human endurance with pathos and humour. It takes a while to get into the story before you are drawn into the characters lives.

Rating: 4 Stars

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