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joyful24's review
5.0
That damn Ralph Angel got on my nerves. Charlie's insecurities got on my nerves. Ms. Honey got on my last damn nerve!! The story was well written. Everything was very descriptive. I thought that I would picture the tv show as I read it (yes, I know the storyline is different), but the story was so engaging that wasn't an issue. I enjoyed the sugar cane farm being a main character in the story. It felt like I was learning how to be a farmer while Charlie got a crash course in the life her father left behind. It made me think about the generational differences between people who grew up in rural areas and the children they raise in the city. How they sacrificed parts of themselves so their children would live softer lives filled with more opportunity. How their children don't realize they lost access to an important part of their family culture until their elders have passed and they find themselves having to stand in their footprints. How their parents leave them a legacy they are ill-equipped to handle.
pjvana's review
3.0
This reminded me of "the secret life of bees" in a lot of ways. It doesn't have the polish of Sue Kidd's book, but this writer definitely has potential. The descriptions of the Louisiana sugar cane fields were beautiful. Every now and again a wonderful part to a character would emerge... But then something cliche would be written. The editing was also irritating as the main character's name is "Charley"... As in Charlotte...and with 3rd person narration her name is on each page a minimum of four times... and still it is spelled "Charlie" more than once. Overall, I liked how true the author stayed to the characters. However, there were a lot if "one and done" type details that were never tied up. I would recommend this as a good summer read.
singintina's review
4.0
I enjoyed reading from the perspective of a woman of color in the south. I also enjoyed learning about Cane Farming.
erica_bringsabook's review
3.0
I decided to read this book because I watched the first episode of the TV show and didn't like it, but wanted to give the book a chance to win me over. I did enjoy the book, and learned more about sugar cane than I ever wanted to know. I'm now going to watch one more episode of the show to see if I will enjoy it more.
megatsunami's review
4.0
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this book. I found the story and the characters compelling and wanted to know what would happen next.
At times I felt like the information about sugar plantations was thrown in for the purpose of exposition. I like it when you almost don't even notice you're learning something because it feels like part of the story - which did happen *sometimes* in this book, but not all the time.
I thought it totally made sense that the author wanted us to understand Ralph Angel's experience, but there was something I didn't like about the chapters in his voice. I can't quite put my finger on it, but because it was so very clear from the beginning that he is bad news and his part of the story was not going to end well, it felt a little disingenuous to show his thought process. In a way, it didn't feel like ultimately there was much question about how he was going to act. But maybe that was the point?
At times I felt like the information about sugar plantations was thrown in for the purpose of exposition. I like it when you almost don't even notice you're learning something because it feels like part of the story - which did happen *sometimes* in this book, but not all the time.
I thought it totally made sense that the author wanted us to understand Ralph Angel's experience, but there was something I didn't like about the chapters in his voice. I can't quite put my finger on it, but because it was so very clear from the beginning that he is bad news and his part of the story was not going to end well, it felt a little disingenuous to show his thought process. In a way, it didn't feel like ultimately there was much question about how he was going to act. But maybe that was the point?
ive_colon's review
4.0
3.5*
Charley, a single mother in LA, inherits a sugar plantation from her father in Louisiana. Mom & daughter learn to adjust to such a different lifestyle. A wonderful story about family, the good and bad, the farm life and living in the country. It is a wonderful story with lots of details.
Charley, a single mother in LA, inherits a sugar plantation from her father in Louisiana. Mom & daughter learn to adjust to such a different lifestyle. A wonderful story about family, the good and bad, the farm life and living in the country. It is a wonderful story with lots of details.
diane21's review
4.0
This was such an interesting and well written story. I watched the Hulu series before I knew it was based on a book. The book and the series are significantly different, but it was one of those uncommon instances where I liked both equally well. The book really inspired me to learn more about the history of cane farming and I added [b:Sugar in the Blood: A Family's Story of Slavery and Empire|13642504|Sugar in the Blood A Family's Story of Slavery and Empire|Andrea Stuart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339937829l/13642504._SX50_.jpg|19257744] to my TBR.
bibliophiliac's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
A widowed, Los Angeles art teacher, Charley Bordelon, abandons her Spanish bungalow and, with her 11-year-old daughter Micah, heads for Saint Josephine Parish, Louisiana to work on the 800 acres of sugarcane her father left her in his will. They move into a small room in Charley’s grandmother’s small home. Once Charley gets a look at the neglected farm, the rusty farm equipment, and the small amount of money left to bring the crop to harvest in October—and throw in a wreck of a half-brother, Ralph Angel who is jealous of the inheritance Charley received—she despairs. Few people are willing to help her because of her race and gender, which sets the story up for its main tensions – man vs. nature; Black woman vs. the white men who would crush her because she is a woman and Black. Baszile uses meticulous detail to describe life on a sugarcane farm and creates a cast of interesting characters to showcase this tenacious, resourceful woman who works as hard as any of the employees to operate the machinery and plant the cane by hand, while she navigates a love affair with a white man, Remy Newell. While the beginning of the novel was a little slow, I thought the end of it was too rushed.
lanidacey's review
3.0
There is so much going on in this novel. So much and I'm still hard pressed to tell you what the plot is. Charley, the main character, has to deal with learning how to farm sugar cane, raising a slight traumatized daughter (which was never fully dealt with) and a possibly sociopathic brother (god, I hated this character). Reading about her journey was enjoyable, but the whole story felt unorganized. The only thing that really holds the story together is the process of planting the sugar can and harvesting it.
As for the writing, it had its bright spots. However, there were also moments when you could tell the author was just shoving in facts and descriptions to show off all the research she'd done. I will say, they were pretty interesting facts.
As for the writing, it had its bright spots. However, there were also moments when you could tell the author was just shoving in facts and descriptions to show off all the research she'd done. I will say, they were pretty interesting facts.