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Summary: Cane River--Interesting bit of history
Review: This is a fictionalized account of 4 generations of women in the Louisiana Cane River bayou. The author starts her story with Suzette and her mother, Elisabeth, who were slaves owned by a white Frenchman. The basic outline of their lives--where they lived, who they were descended from--is fact. The actual events are fictionalized based on history and the author's instinct and research into historical documents of the time and area.I really liked this story. Knowing that the characters were real made this an educational trip for me. I was fascinated by the choices these women made and the sacrifices they endured to keep their families around them at a time when people were sold like horses and families were split apart. Slave families weren't allowed to marry or have last names. When they had children, they could be taken from them and sold like puppy litters. Slave owners could have sex with their slaves and father many children. I was surprised to find that not all these relationships were forced. Philomene saw visions of the future, which attracted and frightened her owner. She used this attraction as a bargaining tool to get him to provide a better life for the children that he fathered with her. Some generations viewed the lighter skin of the offspring of these unions as a "step up" in society and they encouraged their children to pair up with light-skinned people. This story helped me understand to some extent why there seems to be discrimination within any particular race. I liked this book very much, even though it wasn't what I'd call a "page-turner." It was easy to put down and come back to. I enjoyed the richness of the characters and the very real sense of "being there" during this period in history. I would rate it 4.5 stars out of 5.
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Summary: Not enough ummmphhh!
Review: If she fictionalized some of the parts and added to it, why was it so drab. I loved the storyline but it is not as original as people said it was. The color-issue is not new and un-explored territory. In fact Cane River is one of thousands of books that have been written about it. A lot of hype but no delivery. GOD BLESS, Tamara
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Summary: Cane River
Review: Cane River is a book that i will read over and over.I give praise the author for her courage and stenght.It made me cry and open my heart and mind and soul.It made me feel and love more and not to judge what i don't know.It is amazing i remember when she was writing the book.I am doing the same thing finding my roots. Praise be to her.Hope we will meet someday we have so much in common.It take a spirit that is mature to give the world this divne gift.In the book when she dedicate it to her mother it really touch me.I did the samething.
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Summary: Can't put the book down reading!
Review: Cane River was a wondeful story of family. The story takes you through the history of one family. You see the love, hurt, and healing needed to go on. Most importantly you see strength. This book shows the importance of family and staying together. I loved it! It will make you want to hug your children.
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Summary: Great Read!!!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. Not only was it an easy read, but it reminded me to take strength from the ancestors.
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Summary: Touching Work of Historical Fiction
Review: Cane River is a novel that will give the reader so many different reasons to appreciate it. As with several of Oprah's picks, this is not one I probably would have pulled off the shelf on my own, but I'm so glad that I read it. Part of what makes this novel so special is that Lalita Tademy, who was a successful career woman at Sun Microsystems, gave up her high paying salary to research her geneaology. After tracing her family's history, and gathering as many photos and facts as she could, she wove the pieces together into this historical work of fiction creating Cane River. Similar to so many previous stories of slavery, reading this will make you ashamed at the history of our country and saddened at how these lives were torn apart and abused through slave trading & treatment. But what is most powerful in the story is the strength of these three generations of women-Suzette, Philomene & Emily; how they overcame adversity and pain and kept fighting for each new generation to live a better life, despite their own sadness. This novel explores each of these inspiring ladies lives, the men in their lives & their families. It explores issues such as racism, both white vs. black as well as racism within the black community (light coloring vs. dark coloring). It examines the consequences of inter-racial relationship as well as how slaves were handled and treated. How can a person own a slave, but in some way feel the slave is part of the family? One can't help but feel how simple our lives are today compared with all of the hardships these women faced. The sacrifices that family will make for one another is truly remarkable. Tademy did a fantastic job in recreating her family's history and sewing it into an incredible story.
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Summary: Love this book...A must read
Review: This is an awesome book about the trials & tribulations of women trying to survive. They are not perfect, but defintely to be respected for enduring rape, slavery, abuse, and death. Ms. Tademy makes you feel deeply for her characters and you want to follow their lives. She created so many things to love about this book a sense of survival, betterment, a fierce love of family, and intelligent women who one would want to emulate. "The Wind Done Gone" doesn't reach out to you like this book.
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Summary: Not Just "Another Slave Story"
Review: Not just 'another slave story', Cane River is a mixture of a fictional and fact-based account of four generations of women. These women were the author's descendants. While slavery is an issue, the effects and horrors of slavery on the black female psyche is a greater issue that is dealt with in detail in Cane River. At the hands of slave masters and beyond their control, female babies gave birth to babies. They were repeatedly raped and impregnated, and some were even accused by their mistresses of being at fault. The male psyche is also regarded due to the fact that black males on Cane River were not allowed to be men. They had no rights and could not protect their families from the ills of slavery. Because of the lighter-skin-is-better-than-darker-skin color complex ingrained in slaves, many of the author's Cane River female descendants believed and taught those who were closer to white in appearance that they were more privileged. It is the old "house slave versus the field slave mentality", a complex that still exists today. The mixed-bred offspring were repeatedly told that they were 'of quality'. As a result, many desired to keep the color line as light as possible. One of the male offspring fled after freedom was established so that he could 'pass', while one of the males chose to remain on Cane River and eventually married dark skinned woman. From the pictures of the authors' descendants included in the book, it appears that it would have been easy for many of them to have fled in order to pass. However, they remained on Cane River as a family unit. Two of the females (who were also of mixed parentage -- slave/slave master) did freely become involved with Frenchmen, which resulted in their offspring having the appearance of being white. These women were able to "privilege" themselves by having property and houses deeded to them by these Frenchmen, but they were robbed of most of the property and inheritance that they and their descendents were entitled to receive. They were free, but not totally; light skinned, but not white. Many of the author's female descendents were brought up to believe that they were privileged because of their lighter skin tone and straight hair. However, the treatment that they received at the hands of the white inhabitants of Cane River gave them a dose of reality in the pre- and post-emancipation years.
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Summary: Cane River
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had all of my emotions caught up in the story. The documents and photos included in the book helped to bring the story to life. To me it was not just about a time during and before slavery, but about three black strong women who tried to do the best for their family and succeeded. It was a wonderful story and I also place this book up on the "will read again" list.
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Summary: History In a Novel
Review: The whole story (told through the eyes of the slaves) reminds me of the movie "Roots". The characters and events protray the "old" south beginning with the slavery period up to the middle 1930's. Original picturers are displayed on the pages of the book, therefore, the reader does not have to imagine what the person looked like. The characters are developed in the story so it is easy for the reader to discover the strengths and weaknesses of each person. The events flowed from one to the other in a manner that makes it possible for the reader to see history unfold as the book is read.
I enjoyed the book tremendeously. It took a little longer to read this book than usual because of the detail account of events and because their were many characters to follow. I will read this book again soon to capture the parts I know were missed. Read the book;you will not be sorry.
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