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gaynidoking's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While this is an extremely challenging read, it is a very good one. This book sat with me for a while, and it took some time for me to be able to sit down and write a review. The POV is extremely interesting and I found that having it from all the women's perspective at the same time (the book uses "we" as the POV) wasn't as distracting as I thought. The author manages to prevent this from resulting in shallower characters, and I loved all of the women in the book equally. Even the slave owners in the book, though I truly hated them, were fully-fleshed characters in their own rights, and there are a few times when we see the story from their POV.
This book is unflinching in its depiction of its source material. There is so much more than the summary plot of the pregnancies, as the everyday life of a slave in the US South was storied enough. This book definitely isn't for everyone. I had to read it in several sittings, and the ending shook me so deeply I had to take the above-mentioned time to let it sit before I could review it. But for those who can stomach it, it is an emotional and evocative read. I won't call it "eye-opening," because I already knew most of the atrocities that are depicted, but to have them narrated from a personal view hits that much harder.
This book is unflinching in its depiction of its source material. There is so much more than the summary plot of the pregnancies, as the everyday life of a slave in the US South was storied enough. This book definitely isn't for everyone. I had to read it in several sittings, and the ending shook me so deeply I had to take the above-mentioned time to let it sit before I could review it. But for those who can stomach it, it is an emotional and evocative read. I won't call it "eye-opening," because I already knew most of the atrocities that are depicted, but to have them narrated from a personal view hits that much harder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Grief, and Racism
Moderate: Rape and Pregnancy
Minor: Child death and Miscarriage
It is an unflinching depiction of slavery in the US south, with all the warnings that apply.canuhandledace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Death, Rape, Child death, Pregnancy, Torture, and Kidnapping
deidrelj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The summary misled me but I’m not upset because I still enjoyed the book. A “rebellion” in my mind is an in your face stand against slavers but what these women did were smaller “wins” that allowed them to assert some authority over their own lives. I really appreciated how they were given different backgrounds and beliefs. So often, stories from this era treat all enslaved peoples as if they originated from the same place. My main criticism is that there’s no build up to the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Slavery, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Racism, and Pregnancy
awebofstories's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Grade: A
Oh boy, I'm still recovering from this one. If you know the basics of this book--six women enslaved by an unsuccessful farmer in Texas in the 1850s and their own wants to "breed" them--you know it will be heavy. And it was. And it was worth it.
Peyton's prose is hypnotic and will entice you into the story. She uses both the 2nd and 3rd person point of view, which may sound problematic but is very effective here. This technique allows the reader to see the women's individual experiences clearly while also building compassion between the women and the reader.
The world of this novel is appropriately dry and stark. However, we also see how that world changes as time passes. One thing I really appreciated about this book is that this isn't a story of people enslaved on the palatial plantation of the myth we are constantly fed. No, these women are enslaved on a hardscrabble farm run by an inept and amoral couple. Those who know the accurate history of this era know that this depiction is closer to the truth than the Tara-like plantations we see in movies.
I was devastated by this story, and I know it will stay with me for quite some time. The ending made me ache, and I simultaneously hated it and knew it was inevitable. I only have two quibbles about this book. There were times when some of the smaller details were not clear. While this didn't impact my enjoyment of the story, it took me out of it occasionally. I also felt that maybe six women were one or two too many women. We get to know about 4 of the women very well, and the others are sort of just there.
Other than that, this was an excellent book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, needs something for their book club, or thinks Gone with the Wind is a realistic depiction of the Antebellum South.
Oh boy, I'm still recovering from this one. If you know the basics of this book--six women enslaved by an unsuccessful farmer in Texas in the 1850s and their own wants to "breed" them--you know it will be heavy. And it was. And it was worth it.
Peyton's prose is hypnotic and will entice you into the story. She uses both the 2nd and 3rd person point of view, which may sound problematic but is very effective here. This technique allows the reader to see the women's individual experiences clearly while also building compassion between the women and the reader.
The world of this novel is appropriately dry and stark. However, we also see how that world changes as time passes. One thing I really appreciated about this book is that this isn't a story of people enslaved on the palatial plantation of the myth we are constantly fed. No, these women are enslaved on a hardscrabble farm run by an inept and amoral couple. Those who know the accurate history of this era know that this depiction is closer to the truth than the Tara-like plantations we see in movies.
I was devastated by this story, and I know it will stay with me for quite some time. The ending made me ache, and I simultaneously hated it and knew it was inevitable. I only have two quibbles about this book. There were times when some of the smaller details were not clear. While this didn't impact my enjoyment of the story, it took me out of it occasionally. I also felt that maybe six women were one or two too many women. We get to know about 4 of the women very well, and the others are sort of just there.
Other than that, this was an excellent book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, needs something for their book club, or thinks Gone with the Wind is a realistic depiction of the Antebellum South.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Physical abuse, and Rape
jen_thetelltalebookclub's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
4.0
This book has deep themes. I don't want that to detour anyone from reading the book.
The women in this book faced many difficult things, losing loved ones, abuse/injury/pain, hunger to name a few, but they were so strong. I didn't know the ways the slaves avoided pregnancy and that AA men were loaned or bought for the purpose of breeding with women on the plantation. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it and learn from it. Even though the content was hard at times, it's important that this part of history is taught and that we seek to know the truth and not the versions others want us to hear. The author did a wonderful job with the climax of the book. I didn't want to put it down.
I read the audio version and Karen Chilton did a phenomenal job. For me, it probably would have been beneficial to have a physical copy while I listened because I had a hard time keeping up with all of the characters voices.
I look forward to more works by Tracey Rose Peyton.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Emotional abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Slavery, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Racial slurs, Death, Torture, and Racism
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