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jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters by Patricia C. McKissack,
Enjoying not only learning how the slaves got the masters house in order for Christmas but their own.
They were also sent to other estates to help out as well. Very informative and I can picture being there, so descriptive.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Enjoying not only learning how the slaves got the masters house in order for Christmas but their own.
They were also sent to other estates to help out as well. Very informative and I can picture being there, so descriptive.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
wintermote's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Very informative narrative nonfiction that doesn’t gloss over the harsh reality of plantation culture. Beautifully contrasting, how Itals, events, songs, etc. are seen differently by those in the big house and those in the quarters.
Read aloud, held the attention of my six-year-old and the entire family learned a lot.
Read aloud, held the attention of my six-year-old and the entire family learned a lot.
panda_incognito's review against another edition
4.0
This well-researched, beautifully illustrated book for children explores Christmas traditions in Virginia on the eve of the Civil War, contrasting the experiences of slave-owning families and the people they owned. The book is about fictional characters, but it is based in fact, with detailed notes in the back to explain the sources of different details pulled into the text and illustrations. There's not much of a narrative, and many children would find this boring, but it is excellent, well-presented history.
I wasn't planning to write a detailed review, but when I looked at other reviews here on Goodreads, I saw that one reader gave the book one star based on an unfair, surface-level reading that didn't engage with the story or intent. This reviewer complained that the authors portrayed the slaves as receiving Christmas gifts from the master and his family, and didn't believe that this would happen, even if the gifts were hand-me-downs. This reviewer believed that the authors portrayed the slaves as having no community amongst themselves, and as if they were happy in slavery, and would just be happier if they were free.
This surface-level reading is not remotely faithful to the text or the intended message. Firstly, some slave-owning families did give gifts at Christmastime, and this is based in historical fact. Secondly, the book specifically mentions that the slaves were not required to be present at the master's house for Christmas, but were invited. The authors mention that some people chose not to go, but did so knowing that the master might remember and use this against them in the future. Nothing about the story idealizes the master's family or implies that they were generous. The book simply portrays cultural norms as they existed.
This book does not romanticize slavery. The only way to perceive that is to read this from a shallow perspective that expects the authors to provide moral commentary and condemnation along the way. The authors show instead of telling, and they emphasize the community that slaves experienced among themselves, the nature of their personal celebrations, and the grief that they experienced through familial separation and all-too-brief visits that were sometimes allowed at Christmastime. The authors do not insert their own voices and opinions, but present facts and evidence to reveal the truth about slavery.
I wasn't planning to write a detailed review, but when I looked at other reviews here on Goodreads, I saw that one reader gave the book one star based on an unfair, surface-level reading that didn't engage with the story or intent. This reviewer complained that the authors portrayed the slaves as receiving Christmas gifts from the master and his family, and didn't believe that this would happen, even if the gifts were hand-me-downs. This reviewer believed that the authors portrayed the slaves as having no community amongst themselves, and as if they were happy in slavery, and would just be happier if they were free.
This surface-level reading is not remotely faithful to the text or the intended message. Firstly, some slave-owning families did give gifts at Christmastime, and this is based in historical fact. Secondly, the book specifically mentions that the slaves were not required to be present at the master's house for Christmas, but were invited. The authors mention that some people chose not to go, but did so knowing that the master might remember and use this against them in the future. Nothing about the story idealizes the master's family or implies that they were generous. The book simply portrays cultural norms as they existed.
This book does not romanticize slavery. The only way to perceive that is to read this from a shallow perspective that expects the authors to provide moral commentary and condemnation along the way. The authors show instead of telling, and they emphasize the community that slaves experienced among themselves, the nature of their personal celebrations, and the grief that they experienced through familial separation and all-too-brief visits that were sometimes allowed at Christmastime. The authors do not insert their own voices and opinions, but present facts and evidence to reveal the truth about slavery.
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