Slavery is abundant in Charleston, SC in the 1800's. Young SARAH is given the gift of a slave (HANDFUL) by her parents in her early teen years. SARAH doesn't believe that a human should be owned by another and refuses the gift. Her parents force her to keep HANDFUL and they basically grow up together as friends.
There are examples throughout the book of the terrible treatment of slaves, used to keep them in line - torture, beatings, hangings - which is tough to read, but it's a part of our awful American history.
The chapters alternated between SARAH and HANDFUL and I was kept interested throughout. Handful's mother, CHARLOTTE was fully developed and is a major character in the story. I liked her. SARAH'S mother was wretched and had no guilt taking her cane across the head of a slave.
A very good read - great writing and particularly interesting because it's based on a true story.
Some passages that bear recognition:
Pg. 50
"You will not set foot from this house!" she ordered. "I forbid it."
I stepped through the back door into the soft gloom, into the terror and thrill of defiance. The sky had gone cobalt. Wind was coursing in hard from the harbor.
Mother followed me, shrieking, "I forbid it." Her words flapped off on the breezes, past the oak branches, over the brick fence.
Pg. 112
Goods and chattel. The words from the leather book came into my head. We were like the gold leaf mirror and the horse saddle. Not full-fledge people. I didn't believe this, never had believed it a day of my life, but if you listen to white folks long enough, some sad, beat-down part of you starts to wonder. All that pride about what we were worth left me then. For the first time, I felt the hurt and shame of just being who I was.
Pg. 115
There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it.
Pg. 118
The worst troubling thing he told me was how his neighbor down the street - a free black named Mr. Robert Smyth - owned three slaves. Now what you supposed to do with something like that? Mr. Vesey had to take me to the man's house to meet the slaves before I allowed any truth to it. I didn't know whether this Mr. Smyth was behaving like white people, or if it just showed something vile about all people.
Pg. 162
Mr. Vesey, though, he didn't like any kind of talk abut heaven. He said that was the coward's way, pining for life in the hereafter, acting like this one didn't mean a thing. I had to side with him on that.
Pg 357
He was the best man I knew. Without meaning for it, my heart had got tangled with his.
Joan
I really enjoyed this book. I'm happy to hear you like it too! ~ Carla
ReplyDeleteHad a lot for good discussion, didn't it? Loved the ending and all that comes about in the end AND that it's based on a real story of Sarah.
DeleteI too enjoyed the book and was satisfied to learn it was based on real people. I wish these people, who fought in various ways against slavery, were better known.
ReplyDeleteMe too Marjie. I guess, little by little our heroes are uncovered and some recognized and that's why we so enjoy a book like this one....... I liked their positive impact for women too.
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