This astounding novel begins in Tidewater Virginia in the final decade of the seventeenth century. It is about freed Blacks, slaves, enslavers, and indentured whites. Of course, it is mostly, and brilliantly, an exposition of the unimaginable pain and suffering inflicted upon the Africans. From their capture, passage, and sale; to endless mistreatment, beatings, rapes, and indignity piled on top of indignity; to seeing their children sold, Africans suffered every minute of every day. The indentured whites at least had hope for a future, but they too were treated only marginally better than the animals in the pen. The primary goal of the enslaved was to seek freedom and hope that they or their children could find it. The lead characters—Andrew and Phoebe Carrabus, their son David, Bless, and even the indentured white boy turned slaver, Jack—find love and a bit of freedom in a tortured world. An excellent read.
No comments:
Post a Comment