Rating: 
Summary: fiction & facts -the best of both worlds!
Review: Like some other reviewers, I was sorry the book ended...I enjoyed it so much! Thought I wouldn't like it with embellishments, but the facts & fiction brought out the best in each other!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book By Lalita Tademy
Review: This book was a page turner. I finished it in about 4 days!!! Cane River did an excellent job of going back historically to the slavery days. I got a little bit confused because it kind of jumped back from past to present, but it was a good book nevertheless. You won't be let down by this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not impressed.....
Review: I hate to be the one to say it, but some stories are better left untold. I don't mean to sound as if I'm speaking negative of the author or her family, but I found little to admire about the characters in this novel. I don't feel that being color struck is something to be proud of. There's nothing wrong with taking pride in where you come from but, the more I read the more I felt that Tademy only wanted it to be know that she could trace her family tree back to her white/french speaking ancestors. Don't get me wrong, I know that's a part of history, and I'm sure that there are many of us (African Americans) who could do the same with time, patience, and whole lot of effort. So, that's nothing special. For that reason alone, I found it very hard to feel anything for the women in this novel, in spite of the fact that this is based on real life. Don't get me wrong, the research that Tademy has done is impressive, as well as her story telling/ writing style. I just wished that she would've focused on something else.p.s. In case your wondering, no, I don't have issues with light skinned African Americans. I'm pretty light myself, that's how I know that being color struck equals shame, not pride.
Rating:
Summary: What a riveting story of mothers and daughters!
Review: My mom loaned me her book and now, I want to own a copy of this excellent book! What a story to tell! It's riveting ~~ from the first page to the last page ~~ a story of four generation of women who fought to keep their family intact during the slavery days and post-Civil War days. It's enough for me to want to do research on my family heritage myself! Elisabeth, Suzette, Philemon and Emily all have their own stories to share ~~ of those long ago days in the plantations, of being submissive to their masters and mistresses, of dreams born and crushed, loss of life's mates and children through sales or death, facing prejudice just because of their skin color, and so forth. It is a story within stories of voices heard throughout the years. These women are exceptional ~~ simply because they held onto their dreams of keeping their families together. They did what they had to do to survive and they make no apologies in doing so. They are women of courage and bravery ~~ women that all women want to be like. And not only are their stories riveting, Tademy includes personal items of her research in finding her family's roots ~~ sales bills, letters and pictures. Tademy gives her ancestors the voices to reach out from beyond the grave to share with us what life was like in the 1800s ~~ especially for women of color. They are not your typical mammys or Harriet Tubmans ~~ they are just women struggling to stay alive and living for each day as it comes. Tademy makes each one of her ancestors come alive with voices of their own ~~ something this reader really appreciates! It's one of the best historical fiction/biography she has read in ages ~~ since Roots. It's humbling to read about other women with courage and spirit ~~ it makes one realize just how easy life is nowadays. I honestly recommend this book to anyone who has a desire to know more about history. It's one of the best books you'll read in a long time ~~ this is not one of Oprah's gloomy picks. No, it's an enlightening and uplifting story ~~ despite all the racial prejudices and truths, these women still kept their heads up high. It's wonderfully written and refreshing as well. I cannot say enough about this book ~~ so read it and see why I enjoyed it so much! 6-27-02
Rating:
Summary: excellent example of people's history
Review: Even though I gave this 5 stars, I do agree with the others who said the book was quite slow. It is in fact, quite slow. However, I would challenge these people by pointing out that the lives of slaves in the late 19th century were not action-packed thrill rides. Therefore, given the subject matter, why would they even read this book? If you, on the other hand, are interested in what the lives of slaves were like in the South immediately before and after the Civil War, you should definately read this book. Its very compelling in its descriptions and dialogue. I sincerely felt like I was provided with some insight on what it must have been like to be an ex-slave and what the views and attitudes of whites were after the war. There was enough change of time, settng, and characters to keep the story moving forward and constantly interesting. True, it is not what you would call an exciting or thrilling read. There are no romantic historical figures or bloody battle scenes from the Civil War. This is more people's history, indicative of the lives of common, ordinary people during this time period. So, if you are truely interested in this era of American history and are willing to take it at its own natural pace, don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: A rich blend of historical fact and fiction!
Review: Cane River is a story of many layers, peeled back simultaneously as the story unfolds. One layer is the family history that first-time author Lalita Tademy painstakingly researched and gleaned from elderly relatives, old documents and photographs. Another layer is the tale of a large family of strong women and men, generation passing down to generation the determination to become something "more," someone "quality," a theme that is repeated throughout the book. Layers of inescapable color discrimination, fear of prejudice, expected violence, all follow. The story begins with young Suzette, Lalita Tademy's great-great-great-great grandmother (The story really begins with Suzette's mother Elisabeth, but the perspective is Suzette's). Born into slavery and brought up as a "house girl" for a wealthy Creole family, the Derbannes, Suzette is smart, strong-willed and frustrated with the limits placed on her dreams by circumstances. Suzette's story eventually melts into her daughter Philomene's struggle to rise above the restrictions of birth, and then to Philomene's daughter Emily, Lalita Tademy's great-grandmother, born into slavery in 1861, whose fiery spirit sparked Tademy into writing this book. You'll hope and despair along with Suzette, Philomene, Emily and their many descendants. This is the story that was not told in your 19th century history classes, but the story you should have heard. Cane River is a richly descriptive, engrossing book you'll sit down and read in one sitting, if you have the chance.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing. Moves slowly, not compelling
Review: After reading the 5* reviews, I was sure I would enjoy this book. The author has obtained an oral/written history put down by one of her older family members, and she has done admirable research into her family and how they might have lived over the generations. She then weaves a story which encompasses her findings. The problem is that the story is not all that compelling. Yes, she tells of the social structure among the people of the Cane River, but it's just not enough literary material to drape on the progression of the family. There are times when she jumps over chunks of time, broadly summarizing what's happend in the interim. There are other paragraphs in which she details the trim on the neck and sleeves of a dress, apparently only because she happens to have a picture that accompanies the narrative. As a work of fiction the book is not substantial; there is too much fiction woven throughout for it to be a historical work. It does neither very well.
Rating:
Summary: A Story to be Told
Review: We are living in an age in America that as we become more and more a melting pot, there is a yearning to know of our ancestral roots. This book demonstrates the depth of that research. Written from a woman's perspective, it clearly shows the hardship of these women, and the triumph of love for family enables them to persevere. The story reminded me of the book, The Long Way from Home, by Connie Briscoe, who also researches her slavery ancestors.
James Mitchner, in his book, Carribbean, touches on the concept of bleaching of the family line, which is a continual thread of
thought in this book. There is much to be gleaned from their experiences on the tragedy of judging someone on the basis of their skin color. And, how destructive those attitudes become for those who hold them, no matter what side of the issue they are bent.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: I do not generally like Oprah Books. So when Cane River was chosen as a group read for my reading group, I was very reluctant to read it. I could not have been more wrong. A beautifully written family saga, Cane River was one of the best books I have read in recent years. Putting one strongly in mind of the book Roots by Alex Haley, this book is a novelization of the family history of Lalita Tademy. Told through the eyes of four women, all born into slavery, it shows the strength and courage of people who survive through the frequent upheavals thrust upon them.
We are introduced to the matriarch of the family Elisabeth, a slave from Virginia sold into a new plantation and taken from her husband and children. Here begins the story of the Cane River women, Suzette, Philomene and Emily. I was compelled to read every detail of their lives from slavery to freedom. I shared their heartbreak, joy, suffering and triumph, on the journey to freedom. The book paints a long lasting impression of the power of love and family. A book I will think of for a long time to come. I highly recommend you read this unforgettable book.
Rating: 
Summary: zzzzzzzzzz
Review: usually a good book I can read in a day this one took me 2 months. Don't even bother with it.
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