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A review by rosseroo
Sweetsmoke by David Fuller
4.0
I have to admit that this book's basic premise was strong enough to carry me through the story's few rough patches. Set in the midst of the Civil War (1862), the story introduces us to Cassius, a slave carpenter. He enjoys a special status among the slaves at the titular Virginia tobacco plantation -- not only for his skill as a craftsman (which makes him more valuable than mere field hands), but also because he was a childhood playmate of the plantation's master. The death of his wife and child several years ago has made him rather insular, and unlike some of the other "higher ranking" slaves he prefers to keep a low profile and not get caught up in the plantations' social jockeying and intrigues.
However, when Emoline Justice, a local free black woman, herbalist, and fortune teller is found murdered, Cassius decides to cautiously pursue justice on her soul's behalf. She was a kind of mother/mentor figure to him, having nursed him back from death's door, and taught him to read and write. What follows is a kind of blend of historical fiction about plantation life and a whodunit murder mystery. For this to work, the reader has to accept that Cassius' secret literacy enables him to travel rather more freely than most slaves (although not without peril), allowing him to go into town and the surrounding countryside to pursue clues.
This story is pretty gripping, since on top of the hunt for the killer, there's the war lurking not too far away, Underground Railroad operations in the area, plus slavers, spies, and a full cast of realized characters. And if that's not enough, the book also does a very nice job of dramatizing the "private" life of slaves, which themselves are fraught with peril, as plots to curry favor abound, allegiances shift, and anyone might be sold off at any point. Yes, certain elements are somewhat idealized and sanitized, but it's fiction and you either have to accept that or resign yourself to not really enjoying the book (there are plenty of true narratives of slavery if that's your main interest). This is an excellent mix of plot, setting, and character -- a book that makes you think about a certain era in a slightly different way by bringing it to life.
However, when Emoline Justice, a local free black woman, herbalist, and fortune teller is found murdered, Cassius decides to cautiously pursue justice on her soul's behalf. She was a kind of mother/mentor figure to him, having nursed him back from death's door, and taught him to read and write. What follows is a kind of blend of historical fiction about plantation life and a whodunit murder mystery. For this to work, the reader has to accept that Cassius' secret literacy enables him to travel rather more freely than most slaves (although not without peril), allowing him to go into town and the surrounding countryside to pursue clues.
This story is pretty gripping, since on top of the hunt for the killer, there's the war lurking not too far away, Underground Railroad operations in the area, plus slavers, spies, and a full cast of realized characters. And if that's not enough, the book also does a very nice job of dramatizing the "private" life of slaves, which themselves are fraught with peril, as plots to curry favor abound, allegiances shift, and anyone might be sold off at any point. Yes, certain elements are somewhat idealized and sanitized, but it's fiction and you either have to accept that or resign yourself to not really enjoying the book (there are plenty of true narratives of slavery if that's your main interest). This is an excellent mix of plot, setting, and character -- a book that makes you think about a certain era in a slightly different way by bringing it to life.