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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.alexisgarcia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Miscarriage, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Pregnancy, Slavery, Kidnapping, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Abortion, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infertility, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
summerlyn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Child death, Violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Death, Rape, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism
leah_duncan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Racism
hillysreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Violence, Rape, and Sexual violence
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
tigger89's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm not going to sugarcoat it: this is a book about slavery, and it doesn't pull its punches. The setting is dark enough on its own, before we even get to the particular events this story centers around. But while these women were forced to suffer indignity, cruelty, and violation, they turned to each other for support and found ways to create connection and joy. Ultimately, I found this to be a story about community, resilience, and defiance. While this still doesn't add up to a particularly uplifting book, those themes shine like a light in the darkness, illuminating a story unlike any fictionalized slave narrative I've come across before.
One of the things I thought was very interesting was how the many different traditions of the women came together when they held their spiritual meetings. It would have been very easy to write them as all-of-a-kind, but the author was determined to depict the variety of women who were enslaved during this time period. In this regard I believe she succeeded in four out of six cases; unfortunately, I found two of the women to be very under-developed, to the point where I knew little of their personalities or desires, aside from a brief sketch of their origins and a quirk or two. She knocked it out of the park for Serah, Patience, Nan, and Junie, though.
Another thing I think she executed very well was the shifting narrative perspective. Occasionally, the novel is narrated in first person plural: we knew this, we did this, we saw that. I noticed many reviewers were confused about this, asking who the first person narrator was. My interpretation is that it was the women narrating collectively before coming to the forefront one-by-one for the traditional third-person narration sections. In addition to the primary women, several other characters get to take turns narrating, showing the reader the perspectives of other enslaved people and shedding some light on why the Lucys might choose the actions they did. None of their actions were excused, but I appreciated being shown the reasons.
As a side note, the Texas Troubles of 1860 was an actual historical event that I'd never heard of before in my life. I don't know if my education failed me or if it's just one of those things that doesn't really get taught outside of Texas. If you're also not familiar, I'd suggest waiting to google it until after you've read the book. Just know that the final part of the book is grounded in real history.
One of the things I thought was very interesting was how the many different traditions of the women came together when they held their spiritual meetings. It would have been very easy to write them as all-of-a-kind, but the author was determined to depict the variety of women who were enslaved during this time period. In this regard I believe she succeeded in four out of six cases; unfortunately, I found two of the women to be very under-developed, to the point where I knew little of their personalities or desires, aside from a brief sketch of their origins and a quirk or two. She knocked it out of the park for Serah, Patience, Nan, and Junie, though.
Another thing I think she executed very well was the shifting narrative perspective. Occasionally, the novel is narrated in first person plural: we knew this, we did this, we saw that. I noticed many reviewers were confused about this, asking who the first person narrator was. My interpretation is that it was the women narrating collectively before coming to the forefront one-by-one for the traditional third-person narration sections. In addition to the primary women, several other characters get to take turns narrating, showing the reader the perspectives of other enslaved people and shedding some light on why the Lucys might choose the actions they did. None of their actions were excused, but I appreciated being shown the reasons.
As a side note, the Texas Troubles of 1860 was an actual historical event that I'd never heard of before in my life. I don't know if my education failed me or if it's just one of those things that doesn't really get taught outside of Texas. If you're also not familiar, I'd suggest waiting to google it until after you've read the book. Just know that the final part of the book is grounded in real history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion, Cursing, Death, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Infertility
introvertsbookclub's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
This is a really heavy subject but the writer’s perspective and style prevent it from feeling like a ‘trauma dump’. The enslaved women’s voices and stories were each distinct, and their desires and priorities remained unique despite shared experiences and fears.
One of the best parts of this novel, was that the white women were not just portrayed as complicit bystanders, instead they were explicitly and actively involved in the business of slavery and the mistreatment of enslaved people. The author did an incredible job creating a white woman who could critique sexism’s impact on her life (specifically the expectation that she keep birthing children), and yet did not carry her critiques through to her treatment of enslaved women, instead perpetuating the same sexism with the addition of racism in all her interactions with the women.
As much as the novel focused on the abuse of enslaved people as ‘breeders’, in contrast with motherhood, the women were not reduced to this storyline alone. Their belief systems and inherited cultures were a really interesting part of the story, as was the shifting relationships between them.
This novel was honest about the reality of slavery, but it was purposeful and carefully told.
One of the best parts of this novel, was that the white women were not just portrayed as complicit bystanders, instead they were explicitly and actively involved in the business of slavery and the mistreatment of enslaved people. The author did an incredible job creating a white woman who could critique sexism’s impact on her life (specifically the expectation that she keep birthing children), and yet did not carry her critiques through to her treatment of enslaved women, instead perpetuating the same sexism with the addition of racism in all her interactions with the women.
As much as the novel focused on the abuse of enslaved people as ‘breeders’, in contrast with motherhood, the women were not reduced to this storyline alone. Their belief systems and inherited cultures were a really interesting part of the story, as was the shifting relationships between them.
This novel was honest about the reality of slavery, but it was purposeful and carefully told.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Rape
kaylinvm94's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual violence