Take a photo of a barcode or cover
664 reviews for:
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake
Tiya Miles
4.12 AVERAGE
664 reviews for:
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake
Tiya Miles
4.12 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. Literally the only reason is that I personally struggle a bit with non-fiction which is my cross to bare. It’s probably not a fair rating. This book was BEAUTIFULLY written and such a fascinating true story slash metaphor for the resilience of Black women through the ages.
Such a simple staring place- a sack, that opens up the world of the Black women’s experience of slavery and beyond. So much effort and detail were put into this book, and it shows.
This was an interesting blend of art history, history, and conjecture. The strongest sections, in my opinion, were the ones spent discussing the sack and its contents, as well as the significance of these items based on the time period.
“‘Requiring caretaking and at the same time providing solace, ‘textiles are often mobilized in the face of trauma, and not just to provide needed garments or coverings but also as a therapeutic means of comfort, a safe outlet for worried hands, a productive channel for the obsessive working through of loss,’ explains one art historian. Fabric is a special category of thing to people—tender, damageable, weak at its edges, and yet life-sustaining. In these distinctive features, cloth begins to sound like this singular planet we call home. Cloth operates as a ‘convincing analogue for the regenerative and degenerative processes of life, and as a great connector, binding humans not only to each other but to the ancestors of their past and the progeny of their future,’ fiber artist Ann Hamilton has written. ‘Held by cloth’s hand,’ she continues, ‘we are swaddled at birth, covered in sleep, and shrouded in death. A single thread spins a myth of origin and a tale of adventure and interweaves people and webs of communication.’ “
“‘Harriet Jacobs described southern slave society as ‘a curse to the whites as well as to the blacks. It makes the white fathers cruel and sensual; the sons violent and licentious; it contaminates the daughters, and it makes the wives wretched. And as for the colored race, it needs an abler pen than mine to describe the extremity of their sufferings, the depth of their degradation.’45 Rose may have agreed with Harriet about the interpersonal rot endemic in a society built on slavery. Rose may have thought a great many things about her condition and the state of her social world that we cannot quite access.’ “
“But it (the bag) also possesses a quality so tangibly intimate and personal that it filters a light of remembrance on the XXXX own familial bonds, leading any of us to ask what things our families possess that connect us to our past and to wonder what we might gain from the contemplation of that connection.”
“Things become bearers of memory and information especially when enhanced by stories that expand their capacity to carry meaning. And if those things are textiles, stories about women’s lives seem to adhere with special tenacity even as fabrics, because of their vulnerability to deterioration and frequent lack of attribution to a maker, have been among the last kinds of materials that historians look to in order to understand what has occurred, XXXX&XXXX”
I read this book once and then skimmed it again. I will probably go through it one more time and may break down and buy it. Miles’ discussion about Rose, Ashley and the cloth bag does contain some speculation, but I believe this book is full of truth and history. Such a magnificent piece of hard, hard work. I am so grateful to Miles.
I read this book right after I read The Devil’s Half Acre by Kristen Green. Both books are extremely powerful and tell us some, but not enough about African American women and the impact of slavery.
“‘Harriet Jacobs described southern slave society as ‘a curse to the whites as well as to the blacks. It makes the white fathers cruel and sensual; the sons violent and licentious; it contaminates the daughters, and it makes the wives wretched. And as for the colored race, it needs an abler pen than mine to describe the extremity of their sufferings, the depth of their degradation.’45 Rose may have agreed with Harriet about the interpersonal rot endemic in a society built on slavery. Rose may have thought a great many things about her condition and the state of her social world that we cannot quite access.’ “
“But it (the bag) also possesses a quality so tangibly intimate and personal that it filters a light of remembrance on the XXXX own familial bonds, leading any of us to ask what things our families possess that connect us to our past and to wonder what we might gain from the contemplation of that connection.”
“Things become bearers of memory and information especially when enhanced by stories that expand their capacity to carry meaning. And if those things are textiles, stories about women’s lives seem to adhere with special tenacity even as fabrics, because of their vulnerability to deterioration and frequent lack of attribution to a maker, have been among the last kinds of materials that historians look to in order to understand what has occurred, XXXX&XXXX”
I read this book once and then skimmed it again. I will probably go through it one more time and may break down and buy it. Miles’ discussion about Rose, Ashley and the cloth bag does contain some speculation, but I believe this book is full of truth and history. Such a magnificent piece of hard, hard work. I am so grateful to Miles.
I read this book right after I read The Devil’s Half Acre by Kristen Green. Both books are extremely powerful and tell us some, but not enough about African American women and the impact of slavery.
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I’ll remember this book for the rest of my life.
Telling ancestor’s stories by examining the items they held most dear? Excellent. What if those ancestors were enslaved folks who may or may not have had the ability to keep or maintain storage of precious items? What did they give their loved ones when they went away?
I LOVED the analysis of the items found in Ashley’s sack based on cultural customs, oral histories, and slave narratives. I loved how it was explicitly stated that most times we tell the stores of enslaved people, we share the stories of the slave owners because they usually kept better records of themselves- or had the means to keep and maintain storage of their precious items. And how it was explicitly stated that the author could do that, but they weren’t going to. Instead, they focused on the cultural significance of why Ashley would have packed her hair, seeds, scraps fabric, etc. And it paid off. This book is remarkable.
I waited until the end of the book to look up the photo of Ashley’s sack, and I would recommend doing the same if you haven’t seen the sack or read this book. It’s hard to describe the immeasurable sadness of knowing the history and how that combines with the hope and love poured into each stitch. A mother’s love knows no bounds even after the children are forcibly removed from the mother. Truly humbling and a world-altering experience.
This is a great entry level non-fiction for folks that don’t read non-fiction often. The book is written like fiction while making you feel and learn something new and challenging.
I love this book. I’m so happy it exists.
Telling ancestor’s stories by examining the items they held most dear? Excellent. What if those ancestors were enslaved folks who may or may not have had the ability to keep or maintain storage of precious items? What did they give their loved ones when they went away?
I LOVED the analysis of the items found in Ashley’s sack based on cultural customs, oral histories, and slave narratives. I loved how it was explicitly stated that most times we tell the stores of enslaved people, we share the stories of the slave owners because they usually kept better records of themselves- or had the means to keep and maintain storage of their precious items. And how it was explicitly stated that the author could do that, but they weren’t going to. Instead, they focused on the cultural significance of why Ashley would have packed her hair, seeds, scraps fabric, etc. And it paid off. This book is remarkable.
I waited until the end of the book to look up the photo of Ashley’s sack, and I would recommend doing the same if you haven’t seen the sack or read this book. It’s hard to describe the immeasurable sadness of knowing the history and how that combines with the hope and love poured into each stitch. A mother’s love knows no bounds even after the children are forcibly removed from the mother. Truly humbling and a world-altering experience.
This is a great entry level non-fiction for folks that don’t read non-fiction often. The book is written like fiction while making you feel and learn something new and challenging.
I love this book. I’m so happy it exists.
Part history textbook, part memoir - unlike any book I've read before. I appreciated Miles' approach and lens. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could - it was well done but ultimately didn't grab my attention in the way my 4-star-designated books do.
This book was fabulous! Check out my full written review here: http://shesamusicsnob.blogspot.com/2022/04/all-that-she-carried-journey-of-ashleys.html
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
A wonderful antidote to a typical historical nonfiction work. I loved how the author researched and “allowed” the space between the stitches to take life, and how she embraced the “spiritual” meaning of Ashley’s sack. In addition, the book really lent itself to being read aloud and the narrator was excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Rape