You all finish this month's selection, "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez?
I think this was a decent read with some heart-wrenching moments. I'm sorta on the fence with this one. It didn't knock my socks off but it didn't bore me to pieces either. I have a total love affair with all historical fiction, this one being no exception, which is why it made it to three stars on GoodReads.
There wasn't a whole lot of anything going on (I think I just expect MORE sometimes!). There were moments that left me scratching my head because I wasn't exactly following the author when it seemed like SHE knew the backstory but we were not privy. And, there were moments that made me gasp from the horrors...which is one reason I love historical fiction...the real life angle as it once was. I think the authors attempt at "cliffhangers" at the end of most chapters were weak at best but I can't say I was annoyed while reading this book.
I liked the character Lizzie and was totally fascinated by the inner workings of slave owners and their slaves. I was equally saddened by the sheer amount of rape (my gawd, at every turn, those poor girls/women!) and children born to this woman and that woman and all of them never truly documented properly, nor buried properly. As a lover of genealogy, WHAT A NIGHTMARE!
There were some characters that were not well plotted and I wanted more of that. But, in the end I knew that Lizzie would never choose to be "free", even though she had several opportunities to escape, because she didn't want to leave her children behind. I thought Lizzie truly exemplified what it means to be a MOTHER. Your needs are put behind those of your children. You would do anything for them. You would be willing to die in order for them to have a better life. It pained me when poor Lizzie was forced to watch Fran turn into a temporary mother to her children. I was proud and happy with the way it ended...as much as I wanted Lizzie to be free, I knew that she just couldn't do that to her children.
Please feel free to share your thoughts on this book...what did you think?
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