Scan barcode
A review by mkwojcie
Iola Leroy: Shadows Uplifted by Frances E.W. Harper
3.0
"Slavery had cast such a glamour over the Nation, and so warped the consciences of men, that they failed to read aright the legible transcript of Divine retribution, which was written upon the shuddering earth, where the blood of God's poor children had been as water freely spilled."
I very much enjoyed reading a 19th century woman of color's work, for a change, and highly recommend to those interested in histories of the Civil War--it's the first Civil War novel I've read, for example, that acknowledges and discusses the military service of black men, and adapts conventions of the 19th century domestic novel to examine questions of family separation and chosen kin. It is, like most 19th century sentimental novels, though a bit didactic, lacks much physiological interiority, and is full to the brim with assorted fainting spells. So while I found it interesting from a historical and critical perspective, it was slow going for such a short novel.
I very much enjoyed reading a 19th century woman of color's work, for a change, and highly recommend to those interested in histories of the Civil War--it's the first Civil War novel I've read, for example, that acknowledges and discusses the military service of black men, and adapts conventions of the 19th century domestic novel to examine questions of family separation and chosen kin. It is, like most 19th century sentimental novels, though a bit didactic, lacks much physiological interiority, and is full to the brim with assorted fainting spells. So while I found it interesting from a historical and critical perspective, it was slow going for such a short novel.