Lalita Tademy builds a novel around the Colfax Massacre of 1873 in Louisiana, when white militia killed many Black men defending the courthouse after a disputed election. It follows a family of former slaves in the Red River region as they try to build a life, vote and farm during Reconstruction, drawing on the author's research into her own ancestors.
Fits readers of historical fiction about the post-Civil War South who want a lesser-known episode. It is also suitable for book clubs interested in Tademy's earlier novel Cane River.
Thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2006
- Language
- EN
