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A review by castlelass
Jubilee by Margaret Walker
4.0
Historical fiction based on the life of the author’s maternal great grandmother, the daughter of a black slave and a white plantation owner. The protagonist, Vyry, is a strong, black woman with an admirable integrity of spirit in the face of severe adversity. She is a woman of faith doing the best she can for her family, as they suffer through slavery and then through continued racist torment during Reconstruction. It is split into three parts: Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction. I found the first and last parts the most impactful. In the middle part, the author assumes the reader is unaware of the specifics of the Civil War and provides a great deal of narrative context, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how much you already know.
In documenting the oral history of her family, supplemented by research, the author has created an engrossing story with an authentic flavor. Walker is adept at describing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures and environment. The author intersperses lyrics from spirituals and other music of the era, which adds a cultural quality to the story. One segment I found particularly thought-provoking involves a discussion of three adults near the end, where Vyry vocalizes thoughts and dreams of racial harmony in an inspiring manner. Different approaches are expressed by her husband and former husband, including passive acceptance and assertive resistance. First published in 1966, this book withstands the test of time. Recommended to those interested in African American history or what life was like in the American south before, during, and after the Civil War. As may be expected in a novel relating the horrors of slavery, it contains graphic violence and racism.
Memorable quote:
In documenting the oral history of her family, supplemented by research, the author has created an engrossing story with an authentic flavor. Walker is adept at describing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures and environment. The author intersperses lyrics from spirituals and other music of the era, which adds a cultural quality to the story. One segment I found particularly thought-provoking involves a discussion of three adults near the end, where Vyry vocalizes thoughts and dreams of racial harmony in an inspiring manner. Different approaches are expressed by her husband and former husband, including passive acceptance and assertive resistance. First published in 1966, this book withstands the test of time. Recommended to those interested in African American history or what life was like in the American south before, during, and after the Civil War. As may be expected in a novel relating the horrors of slavery, it contains graphic violence and racism.
Memorable quote:
“The true Jubilee will be the day that Earth embraces this universe granting love and freedom to all.”