Lalita Tademy traced her own family history to write this novel, which follows four generations of women of colour in Louisiana's Cane River region, from slavery through Reconstruction. Elisabeth, her daughter Suzette, and the later generations, Philomene and Emily, work to keep their family together, struggle against sexual exploitation by white men, and find ways to gain land and an education. The story crosses the Civil War and the years of Jim Crow.
Historical fiction readers who want to follow the same family across a century will appreciate its steady depiction of how women survived. It draws from real documents and gives an intimate account of strategy, endurance and the hope that each new generation would have a little more freedom.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2001
- Language
- EN
