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Summary: History is so beautiful
Review: This book was great. It was slow in a few parts but an overall great read. As an African American woman it was wonderful to read a story of what the women of my past may have gone through. Tademy's research was well worth it. Long book but a real page-turner full of drama amoung generations. GOT TO GET IT!
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Summary: Wonderful, strong women !
Review: What incredibly strong women these were, to survive and even thrive under the hideous regime of slavery. This is a story of four generations of women, some born into slavery and others after the freeing of the slaves, but all of them still bearing the so-called stigma of coloured skin. I was (naively) amazed to find out that the degree of colour of skin could determine a persons place in black society, and also seriously influence the way in which the families of former slaves could rise in the business and social stratum of society. I enjoyed this story as a fascinating historical document and also as a touching family saga about powerful women who refused to buckle under life's adversities.
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Summary: I Envy Her
Review: I envy Lalita Tademy, certainly not for the awful times of her slave ancestors, but for knowing so much of her family history and having the skill to make it come alive for people of all ancestory. She makes her readers feel the horror of slavery -- of not being able to own your own body-- but also tells in such a poignant way, how her ancestors survived as a strong, brave people with "family" being the center of their lives. I am a first generation American (Check/German) . I recently got to visit my father's birthplace in Austria, but the afternoon I spent in his village and the few stories he told of his childhood are all the family history I have. The written records would be in a foreign language and if they were translated I would have no "context" as to the history of the time and place. Therefore, my family story is lost, except that I know that in helping younger members immigrate and by creating jobs for them, my parents' generation truly valued family. So although my family is far different from Tademy's, her book sort of took me "home" to the loving mothers and grandmothers we all would wish for. She writes beautifully of love and longing and, even though the story is sometimes one of brutality, the book is never depressing. I loved the photos. Cane River would make a great movie! I'll watch for more books by Tademy, but if she never writes another, she has created a wonderful legacy.
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Summary: Magnificent Testament to the Human Spirit
Review: While I have heard that blacks of lighter color were often treated better than darker blacks, and have even heard of the prejudices among some blacks themselves over darkness of skin color, I was not aware, until I read this beautifully captivating book, that this attitude goes even farther back than the Civil War. Nor was I aware that among the few free "coloreds" that lived in the South before the war, they often considered themselves better than the "coloreds" who were slaves. (I hate that word, "colored". It makes it sound as if someone came along with a crayon and colored somebody with it. And besides, aren't we all people of color? Even someone who is white, like me, has some color to their skin. No one is completely colorless). This book was a wonderful history lesson for me, but beyond that, it introduced me to some wonderful women I wish I could have met: The women in Tademy's ancestral line. What these women suffered through broke my heart, but how they managed to triumph in spite of a mountain of odds, make a better life for themselves and their children, is truly awe inspiring. These women have my deepest admiration and respect, for if I am truthful with myself, I must admit that I doubt I would have survived and overcome what they did. This book is, above all, a testament to the human spirit, and to the strength that can be found within those of us who are called "the weaker sex". Every woman who has ever felt she faces insurmountable odds should read this book. If these women could truimph over the obstacles in their way, surely those of us who are living in the world today can overcome ours. Thank you, Lalita Tademy, for sharing the story of the women in your family. This is one book I will treasure, read over again, and recommend heartily.
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Summary: A magnificent journey through history
Review: Elisabeth, Suzette, Philomene, and Emily. Four women, four generations . . . from slavery to freedom. This novel takes you on an unforgettable ride through the lives of strong black women who suffered (and survived) the mental, emotional and physical injustices of slavery, finding strength in each other. Through love, loss, rapes, forced seperation and pain, these women held onto the one thing that was most important: family. The author did a wonderful job exploring and exposing the issues of color within our race. Still today, many of us sadly believe that the lighter the skin, the better the opportunities. I truly enjoyed this book from begining to end.
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Summary: I want more
Review: I couldn't put the book down. It was truley touching.
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Summary: I want to know more
Review: I hope Lalita Tademy intends to continue this saga. I want to know more about her grandmother Eva Brew and her grandfather T.O. Clearly he triumphs, but I'm really interested to know their stories. How did they fare during the 60s? Did Emily come to accept Eva? I'm not suggesting that this is not a satisfying book. It is. I just want to know more about this family. I hope she's busy right now writing the rest of the story.
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Summary: One of the best books I have ever read in my 60 years
Review: A friend told me about this book and I got it right away after she raved about it so much. She was sure right. It grabbed me from the beginning and I could not put it down. I knew that we had slavery, but did not have any idea just what they went through. In this book will learn all about these people's lives and get to know them and how they got through all of those years through love for each other and doing what was right. It is just a wonderful book. I don't want to give away any of the things that you will read in this book, but I promise you that you will be a more thoughtful and thankful person after you get done with it. I finished it about two weeks ago and these people are still on my mind. I wish I could find another book on this subject that is as wonderful as this one is so I can learn even more about that period in our history. Do yourself a favor and read it. You will be a better person for doing so. Thank you so much Ms. Tademy.
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Summary: A Memorable and very Interesting Book!
Review: An account of one's family history back to early slave days to the near present is presented in a heartwarming and realistic story that holds one's attention from the first page to the last. Told first, from the point of view of a slave girl and then to her continuing family and their experiences generation after generation. A personal and informative account that points out the courage and determination of the human spirit during difficult times to a hopeful future in modern times. This is the kind of book the reader finds difficult to put down, and he will find ways to turn page after page until he reaches the last. An excellent read!
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Three
Rating:
Summary: Must Read!
Review: An absolute MUST read! Excellent content. Her writing makes you feel as if you were there. I was into the book sooooo much, that I actually had a dream about it. Good Job Mrs. Tademy!
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