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A review by sofiaxaguilar
Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson
5.0
"Ashes" by Laurie Halse Anderson is the final installment in the Seeds of America trilogy, which follows Isabel, her sister Ruth, and their friend and fellow former slave Curzon in the midst of the American Revolution. The previous book ended with the reunion of Curzon and Isabel and their continuing quest to find Isabel's sister Ruth, who was kidnapped and presumably sold to an island in the first book of the series. "Ashes" begins with Curzon and Isabel finally tracking down and finding Ruth in North Carolina, and it finally seems that the two sisters have been reunited for good. But there's a catch: Ruth refuses to acknowledge Isabel as her sister as she has a new friend Aberdeen, Curzon and Isabel continue to fight, and their freedom is still in danger of being stolen from them. It's up to the four friends to put their differences aside and work together to survive a revolution that has little thought for the liberty of the people they've enslaved for the past few decades.
This is probably my favorite book of the series because we really get to see everyone grow older, wiser, more mature. Laurie Halse Anderson has a great gift for character development and it shines in "Ashes." I also love the relationship between Isabel and her sister Ruth. As strained and frustrating as it begins, it soon blossoms into sisterly love that is written so captivatingly. And of course, the romantic love between Isabel and Curzon is unparalleled. So often the protagonist and love interest fall in love over the course of one book, but in this series Isabel and Curzon begin as friends who don't trust or even like each other. It's only in the last moments of the last chapter of their story that they finally overcome their pride and know that their paths were always meant to cross. Nothing comes easy in this series, and as frustrating as it is, it's so rewarding to watch two very stubborn and passionate people overcome their differences, which could be said for a lot of relationships in this book.
The character development of Ruth is the most captivating for me. In the first book of the series, she is a small child, who giggles and puts her thumb in her mouth and talks to animals; she's a child who is not always on the same page as everyone else, but is sharp-minded. Seeing her again in this book was startling. Suddenly she was tall, beautiful, and stubborn as a horse, but somehow maintained all the childish characteristics from when we last saw her. Granted, it's a five year time jump between the first and third book, but the growth of Ruth's character was so well written. She plays such a unique role in the story, memorizing the flags of the different American regiments, warning Isabel about ghosts, calming down a donkey that's central to the plot. She's shown to be so capable even though she's what most would call "simple," and that's such wonderful representation.
I've written a lot about the main romance in this book, but I can't help it - throughout the series, it's a constant question of whether Isabel and Curzon will ever say how they feel to each other, if they will choose to overcome their individual pride and love without fear. And Laurie Halse Anderson does a clever job of making the reader doubt. Curzon and Isabel insult each other, bicker, and at first, believe that their lives are just two different to ever intertwine. Because Curzon believes in the promise of the American Revolution, whereas Isabel supports neither side and is only concerned with the safety of her and Ruth. But in the end, they realize that their two goals may not be so different after all, and that is the most beautiful part of this series.
That, and the hypocrisies that the book points out about the attitudes of the American colonists. Even the British mocked the Americans for owning slaves while preaching about freedom and liberty. Isabel's character is great in this context because she sees the war with a neutral, almost pessimistic view; she considers the war from both sides and everything she does is in the interest of her and her sister, while Curzon does everything in the interest of his fellow slaves and considers the American rebels to be the best side to further that cause. This series really challenges the traditional narrative of the Revolution, and further than that, challenges the reader to reconsider the birth of America, and what it cost to get there.
Overall, I highly recommend this book and this series for its writing, its characters, and the way it confronts history, American's history that is, in an interesting and fresh way: through the eyes of a slave who is more than a slave, but a person worthy of love, peace, and freedom.
This is probably my favorite book of the series because we really get to see everyone grow older, wiser, more mature. Laurie Halse Anderson has a great gift for character development and it shines in "Ashes." I also love the relationship between Isabel and her sister Ruth. As strained and frustrating as it begins, it soon blossoms into sisterly love that is written so captivatingly. And of course, the romantic love between Isabel and Curzon is unparalleled. So often the protagonist and love interest fall in love over the course of one book, but in this series Isabel and Curzon begin as friends who don't trust or even like each other. It's only in the last moments of the last chapter of their story that they finally overcome their pride and know that their paths were always meant to cross. Nothing comes easy in this series, and as frustrating as it is, it's so rewarding to watch two very stubborn and passionate people overcome their differences, which could be said for a lot of relationships in this book.
The character development of Ruth is the most captivating for me. In the first book of the series, she is a small child, who giggles and puts her thumb in her mouth and talks to animals; she's a child who is not always on the same page as everyone else, but is sharp-minded. Seeing her again in this book was startling. Suddenly she was tall, beautiful, and stubborn as a horse, but somehow maintained all the childish characteristics from when we last saw her. Granted, it's a five year time jump between the first and third book, but the growth of Ruth's character was so well written. She plays such a unique role in the story, memorizing the flags of the different American regiments, warning Isabel about ghosts, calming down a donkey that's central to the plot. She's shown to be so capable even though she's what most would call "simple," and that's such wonderful representation.
I've written a lot about the main romance in this book, but I can't help it - throughout the series, it's a constant question of whether Isabel and Curzon will ever say how they feel to each other, if they will choose to overcome their individual pride and love without fear. And Laurie Halse Anderson does a clever job of making the reader doubt. Curzon and Isabel insult each other, bicker, and at first, believe that their lives are just two different to ever intertwine. Because Curzon believes in the promise of the American Revolution, whereas Isabel supports neither side and is only concerned with the safety of her and Ruth. But in the end, they realize that their two goals may not be so different after all, and that is the most beautiful part of this series.
That, and the hypocrisies that the book points out about the attitudes of the American colonists. Even the British mocked the Americans for owning slaves while preaching about freedom and liberty. Isabel's character is great in this context because she sees the war with a neutral, almost pessimistic view; she considers the war from both sides and everything she does is in the interest of her and her sister, while Curzon does everything in the interest of his fellow slaves and considers the American rebels to be the best side to further that cause. This series really challenges the traditional narrative of the Revolution, and further than that, challenges the reader to reconsider the birth of America, and what it cost to get there.
Overall, I highly recommend this book and this series for its writing, its characters, and the way it confronts history, American's history that is, in an interesting and fresh way: through the eyes of a slave who is more than a slave, but a person worthy of love, peace, and freedom.