⭐⭐⭐
Pros: An unflinching look at the deprivations of slavery but also stories of hope and inspiration, proving that resistance against oppression will always find a way and can begin with a single spark.
Cons: Cane’s writing style felt flat but also almost overdone at the same time.
Full Review:
It begins in Goochland, Virginia on Magnolia Row. Henri, a young slave who has recently been sold to the Raglands, who run Magnolia Row, feels lost and unmoored. He tries to find his place and do his work and finds a few friends, Ruby, one of the Souls who keeps the Master's house, a young girl who never leaves Ruby's side, Josephine and another man, Luke. Luke is Junior Ragland's, the master's son, personal "attendant." Junior is as abhorrent and disgusting as his father but when Junior goes on a trip to New York, Henri and Luke get to know each other better and eventually, fall in love.
When Junior returns home, they know their time together is ending, so they decide to run. It doesn't end well and though they survive thier punishment, it's the catalyst that finally sparks their rebellion. All the other Souls that work Magnolia Row join in the destruction and together, they literally burn down the Ragland's house.
The story continues, following the lives of Josephine, a woman named Charity and her husband Larkin Butler, who was a close friend of Josephine's and the worst of all, a man named Nathaniel, who was born a slave but managed to buy his freedom and purchase property of his own. But instead of keeping the members of his family on his land and protecting them, he uses his power as a slave owner to capture run away slaves and return them to their Masters, for a price. Solomon, one of the Souls who witnessed the destruction of Magnolia Row is under Nathaniel's thumb.
All the stories come together in the end in a hopeful and cathartic way. Though it is a dark, gruesome, terrifying look into the horrors and deprivation of slavery, the characters never really break. Through the years, through all the torment and degradation, they still manage to cling to hope. It's a message that even the smallest spark of rebellion against oppression can start an inferno that can change the world.
This was a rough read, understandably. The slave owners were horrific, violent, abhorrent people and the worst is that these stories were all based on historical events. It's a testament to the strength of the human spirit though, in the lives of the Souls and how they never broke. It shows the bonds of brotherhood, of love, and Cane is clear in his message that together, you can make a change.
Comments
Post a Comment