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A review by sailormar
Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Dear god how did this take me so long to read. Ms. Bev is an artist. A revelation. A genius. A gift to us all.
Read the content warnings - it’s a book about slavery and the Underground Railroad so it’s not a light read in many spots. But GOD does it rise out of the pain and deliver joy and beauty and pleasure, the things intended for and deserved by all people, no matter the limits of the time. Hester and Galen are a dream couple. Only Galen Vachon could have pulled off that church scene and had me on his side.
I don’t feel I’m exaggerating in the slightest to say this feels like Austen - sumptuous, beautiful, sweeping, discussion of class and the struggles of the time, different, rich characters all struggling over the same tough questions. What is love and what makes us risk it all for it? If we are lucky enough to find and to recognize true love, are we brave enough to grab it with both hands, in spite of our baggage, our insecurities, our past, all the stories we tell ourselves about how we do not deserve the love we seek and the love we find?
Also I have never been so aroused by vanilla in my whole life and I don’t think I’ll ever smell it again without thinking of Galen Vachon tracing that Madagascar vanilla extract all over La Petite Indigo (in case you were wondering - yes it bangs and DOES IT EVER BANG!!!).
Just go get this book. I’ll buy it for you, I’ll drive you to the library, I’ll ship it to you. Just read it!!
Read the content warnings - it’s a book about slavery and the Underground Railroad so it’s not a light read in many spots. But GOD does it rise out of the pain and deliver joy and beauty and pleasure, the things intended for and deserved by all people, no matter the limits of the time. Hester and Galen are a dream couple. Only Galen Vachon could have pulled off that church scene and had me on his side.
I don’t feel I’m exaggerating in the slightest to say this feels like Austen - sumptuous, beautiful, sweeping, discussion of class and the struggles of the time, different, rich characters all struggling over the same tough questions. What is love and what makes us risk it all for it? If we are lucky enough to find and to recognize true love, are we brave enough to grab it with both hands, in spite of our baggage, our insecurities, our past, all the stories we tell ourselves about how we do not deserve the love we seek and the love we find?
Also I have never been so aroused by vanilla in my whole life and I don’t think I’ll ever smell it again without thinking of Galen Vachon tracing that Madagascar vanilla extract all over La Petite Indigo (in case you were wondering - yes it bangs and DOES IT EVER BANG!!!).
Just go get this book. I’ll buy it for you, I’ll drive you to the library, I’ll ship it to you. Just read it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Slavery, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs, Classism, Death of parent, Violence, and Pregnancy