Scan barcode
A review by meaganmart
When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864 by Barry Denenberg
1.0
I think there are already several reviews that do a great job of pointing out the flaws of this novel. I will say the overt racism against enslaved people that were presented without pushback or questioning was really disturbing. The author describes in detail why the enslaved people are inferior to white people and "need" the white people to guide them and be masters over them. It is quite upsetting to see this view presented with no commentary on why it is so racist and so deeply wrong.
Another troubling story arc was the narrative that Emma and her mother educated the enslaved children on the plantation. Not only is that incredibly unlikely, but it was also illegal in Virginia at the time to teach enslaved people how to read or write. This is clearly a white savior arc meant to show that slavery wasn't "that bad" for some enslaved people and that there were "kind" masters like Emma's family who gave their enslaved people special privileges and education and wanted "the best" for them.
Although I am a fan of many books in the Dear America series, this is definitely one to skip.
Another troubling story arc was the narrative that Emma and her mother educated the enslaved children on the plantation. Not only is that incredibly unlikely, but it was also illegal in Virginia at the time to teach enslaved people how to read or write. This is clearly a white savior arc meant to show that slavery wasn't "that bad" for some enslaved people and that there were "kind" masters like Emma's family who gave their enslaved people special privileges and education and wanted "the best" for them.
Although I am a fan of many books in the Dear America series, this is definitely one to skip.