A review by samchase112
Jubilee by Margaret Walker

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This epic tale of the house slave, Vyry, and her experience in slavery, the war, and Reconstruction was absolutely incredible to read. Margaret Walker covers so much (African) American history and includes an amazing amount of detail concerning what it meant to live as an enslaved black woman through the mid-19th century. The narrative is equally engrossing and horrifying. The scenes featuring the Ku Klux Klan were extremely horrifying and difficult to read; the very real terror they inspired was palpable. Despite the immense detail and sadness portrayed, the pages fly by; I was so impressed by how drawn into the story I became. (Another little aspect I loved in this novel was the many quotes from slave songs included at the beginning of the chapters--they were a beautiful insight into African American and slave culture.) I cannot recommend this novel enough, especially to anyone interested in American history and, specifically, African American history.
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