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A review by breeoxd
When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864 by Barry Denenberg
1.0
Absolutely nothing redeeming about this book. Maybe it's just the current social climate, but I find the whitewashing and outright racism in this book unpalatable- particularly given the target audience. Let's just refer to black people as mentally retarded for all the good this book does(word choice here is purposeful and does not reflect the views of the reader.)
And let's not chime in from the peanut gallery about how we can't hold books set in past times to today's social norms. If that were they case, the author would have at least attempted some historical accuracy. Instead we get little black scholars being taught to read by their benevolent mistress who only punishes them with cause :eye roll: and everyone and their brother making pies in the midst of a blockage. Hell, even Gone with the Wind TRIED.
I WOULD NEVER want my girl to read this book and think it's ok to view others in this way. There is no resolution or redeeming moment to make up for this travesty.
Oh, and aside from that, nothing happens in this book. The main character does nothing at all- and not in an interesting way. The only character I found myself wanting to know about was Cousin Rachel, who appears to be a "raging feminist" who was jilted by some unnamed man in some unaddressed way, but even that is mansplained away in the fake epilogue as her being mentally ill and maybe killing herself (or being murdered?) in an asylum. I can only hope the author was trying to force some dialog about how feminists were considered mentally ill, rather than feminists are all crazy and will be punished for their crimes.
Yeah, hard pass on this crappy book. Do not give this to your daughter as an "alternate viewpoint" of the civil war- unless you really mean more of an alt right viewpoint. This book is clear written by a super religious white guy.Pick up an American Girl book instead- at least they had life lessons along with sugar-coated history.
And let's not chime in from the peanut gallery about how we can't hold books set in past times to today's social norms. If that were they case, the author would have at least attempted some historical accuracy. Instead we get little black scholars being taught to read by their benevolent mistress who only punishes them with cause :eye roll: and everyone and their brother making pies in the midst of a blockage. Hell, even Gone with the Wind TRIED.
I WOULD NEVER want my girl to read this book and think it's ok to view others in this way. There is no resolution or redeeming moment to make up for this travesty.
Oh, and aside from that, nothing happens in this book. The main character does nothing at all- and not in an interesting way. The only character I found myself wanting to know about was Cousin Rachel, who appears to be a "raging feminist" who was jilted by some unnamed man in some unaddressed way, but even that is mansplained away in the fake epilogue as her being mentally ill and maybe killing herself (or being murdered?) in an asylum. I can only hope the author was trying to force some dialog about how feminists were considered mentally ill, rather than feminists are all crazy and will be punished for their crimes.
Yeah, hard pass on this crappy book. Do not give this to your daughter as an "alternate viewpoint" of the civil war- unless you really mean more of an alt right viewpoint. This book is clear written by a super religious white guy.Pick up an American Girl book instead- at least they had life lessons along with sugar-coated history.