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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
From the amazon.com book description: When Charley unexpectedly inherits eight hundred acres of sugarcane land, she and her eleven-year-old daughter say goodbye to smoggy Los Angeles and head to Louisiana. She soon learns, however, that cane farming is always going to be a white man’s business. As the sweltering summer unfolds, Charley struggles to balance the overwhelming challenges of a farm in decline with the demands of family and the startling desires of her own heart
My reactions
I was introduced to this book as a result of seeing the author at a literary luncheon event. I liked her presentation, so got the book. There is a good premise here but Baszile’s debut work didn’t completely capture my attention, and I think it has some problems.
I wanted to like Charley and, basically, I did. But I had to agree when her grandmother said, “you ARE whining.” I get that Baszile was showing the many obstacles put in Charley’s path, and trying to show that she was working hard to overcome them, but I felt she focused too much attention on her becoming a cane farmer. I would have liked to have more attention on the relationship between Charley and the other women in her life – her daughter, her mother, her grandmother, her aunt. And show her interacting more with the community.
I thought Ralph Angel was a complete distraction and not really necessary to the main plot of a woman finding her roots and her new strength. He seemed to be there just to provide additional tension in the family and a convenient final challenge for Charley to overcome. Interestingly enough, when he first appeared in the novel, I pictured him as a white man … and despite my reading and knowing he was Charley’s brother, I kept picturing him as a white man. Certainly made for a different picture in my head than what the author probably intended.
The plot moved along fairly well and I certainly learned much about cane farming. I thought her descriptions of the landscape, the heat, the bugs, the back-breaking work gave a real sense of the place. But I wasn’t captivated and it took me over a week to read it.
Final verdict: an okay debut, but nothing special.
My reactions
I was introduced to this book as a result of seeing the author at a literary luncheon event. I liked her presentation, so got the book. There is a good premise here but Baszile’s debut work didn’t completely capture my attention, and I think it has some problems.
I wanted to like Charley and, basically, I did. But I had to agree when her grandmother said, “you ARE whining.” I get that Baszile was showing the many obstacles put in Charley’s path, and trying to show that she was working hard to overcome them, but I felt she focused too much attention on her becoming a cane farmer. I would have liked to have more attention on the relationship between Charley and the other women in her life – her daughter, her mother, her grandmother, her aunt. And show her interacting more with the community.
I thought Ralph Angel was a complete distraction and not really necessary to the main plot of a woman finding her roots and her new strength. He seemed to be there just to provide additional tension in the family and a convenient final challenge for Charley to overcome. Interestingly enough, when he first appeared in the novel, I pictured him as a white man … and despite my reading and knowing he was Charley’s brother, I kept picturing him as a white man. Certainly made for a different picture in my head than what the author probably intended.
The plot moved along fairly well and I certainly learned much about cane farming. I thought her descriptions of the landscape, the heat, the bugs, the back-breaking work gave a real sense of the place. But I wasn’t captivated and it took me over a week to read it.
Final verdict: an okay debut, but nothing special.
reikista's review
5.0
Charley moves herself and her daughter back to Louisiana to make a fresh start on the sugar cane farm she inherited from her father. Her grandmother, Miss Honey, calls her half-brother, Ralph Angel, and his son, home too. Charley has to learn all that it takes to be a cane farmer, and she is lucky in the two, wise old mentors she finds. In the process, she also learns what has made her family history and who she can become. Rich, beautiful characters, with a believable and warm love story to boot.
evilyreading's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book fing suuuucked. I had to read this for an English class because apparently it played a role in the ideas of Black people and their relationship to the land. But Charley was so annoying!!!! I started watching the show, so far so much better than the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
alisonlaw's review
5.0
Congrats to [a:Natalie Baszile|7145945|Natalie Baszile|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1420561409p2/7145945.jpg] on her stunning debut novel [b:Queen Sugar|18114067|Queen Sugar|Natalie Baszile|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375062198s/18114067.jpg|25441297]. I met Natalie when I moderated her panel at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville in October 2014. Her fresh voice and lush descriptions of the Louisiana countryside enveloped me. Since then, it's been my privilege to work with Natalie on her paperback tour for Queen Sugar, which begins January 28, 2015, in Memphis, TN. If you like discovering new writers before they become big household names, you should get to know Natalie Baszile and read Queen Sugar.
bellhore's review
4.0
My Lord. This was going to be a three-star rating until the last 20 or so pages of the book. This was a great story, I love seeing people leave everyday comforts in pursuits of a dream or goal. To see that person persevere and go through rough patches with God's grace, that is the story of my life.
To start off, I felt like nothing major really happened until I was 80% through but I appreciate Bazile's slow build into the major plot twist. But uh, is the farm still flourishing? Curious.
****Character Highs & Lows****
Charley- The protagonist of the story, very head-strong and bad-ass. Smart as hell but also stubborn as hell. Love her. I personally would have gone for Hollywood instead of Remy, ESPECIALLY after that "you're not like the black folk around here, it's almost like you're not even black" comment. Good night and good luck, sir.
Ralph Angel- I spent the majority of this book being so fucking angry with him. Every time he'd have a fresh start somewhere, as lowly as it might seem, he deemed himself too good for it. And it's just so tragic what happens to him, and I feel for him, witnessing the atrocities that police brutality has brought upon the black community in America today. But Ralph Angel...people gave you so many chances and you blew it every time. You don't get to treat people however the fuck you want. Yes, you were wronged in so many ways, you did not deserve what happened to you, you deserved another chance. You had a good heart. You should have just been honest with everyone and let your pride down for a moment.
Denton- Thank you for being that redeeming grace figure that we all need.
Micah-Really needs a lesson in humility. When Ralph Angel said that she talked all of the time and was just a French-speaking know it all (ok the french-speaking part is mine), I couldn't help but agree. At some point, you gotta stop letting a child walk over you like this. ESPECIALLY A CHILD LIKE HER. Disrespectful. Not here for it.
Blue-God bless that poor child. Only out here with his action figure trying to balance out his father's anger.
Hollywood- GOD BLESS YOU. Please come mow my grass and hand me $50K that you're not using!
Now I'm ready to watch the show!!! Speaking of, I'm thinking that Nova's character will be more of the Charley I was thinking of. I'm curious to see how they've adapted the show from the book.
To start off, I felt like nothing major really happened until I was 80% through but I appreciate Bazile's slow build into the major plot twist. But uh, is the farm still flourishing? Curious.
****Character Highs & Lows****
Charley- The protagonist of the story, very head-strong and bad-ass. Smart as hell but also stubborn as hell. Love her. I personally would have gone for Hollywood instead of Remy, ESPECIALLY after that "you're not like the black folk around here, it's almost like you're not even black" comment. Good night and good luck, sir.
Ralph Angel- I spent the majority of this book being so fucking angry with him. Every time he'd have a fresh start somewhere, as lowly as it might seem, he deemed himself too good for it. And it's just so tragic what happens to him, and I feel for him, witnessing the atrocities that police brutality has brought upon the black community in America today. But Ralph Angel...people gave you so many chances and you blew it every time. You don't get to treat people however the fuck you want. Yes, you were wronged in so many ways, you did not deserve what happened to you, you deserved another chance. You had a good heart. You should have just been honest with everyone and let your pride down for a moment.
Denton- Thank you for being that redeeming grace figure that we all need.
Micah-Really needs a lesson in humility. When Ralph Angel said that she talked all of the time and was just a French-speaking know it all (ok the french-speaking part is mine), I couldn't help but agree. At some point, you gotta stop letting a child walk over you like this. ESPECIALLY A CHILD LIKE HER. Disrespectful. Not here for it.
Blue-God bless that poor child. Only out here with his action figure trying to balance out his father's anger.
Hollywood- GOD BLESS YOU. Please come mow my grass and hand me $50K that you're not using!
Now I'm ready to watch the show!!! Speaking of, I'm thinking that Nova's character will be more of the Charley I was thinking of. I'm curious to see how they've adapted the show from the book.
astoldby_cece's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
tiffanis29's review against another edition
2.0
I obtained the audio book for my work commute. It was worth the listen. The reader was excellent. Her methods of acting made it more interesting than if I had read it myself. I became interested in the book from watching the television series, which is similar yet pleasantly different. The book was ok. A nice story to listen to. It just seemed incomplete at the end.