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danahuff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I reviewed this book on my blog.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation
princessdana36's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is such a magnificent read. I loved every bit of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Kidnapping and Abandonment
oceanwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
My heart is in pieces, but I adored River Sing Me Home so much. It's a story of survival, family, discerning the meaning of freedom, and most of all, a mother's love and hope for her children.
When the so-called end of slavery comes, Rachel is quick to learn that the word has only changed to 'apprentice'. Seeing that nothing will change for her and unable to stomach the thought of another six years of confinement and brutal labor, she takes off in search of the children that were taken away from her and sold. This is no easy feat, not even sure if any of the five have survived. She doesn't let her think about this possibility too much. She is determined to reunite with them at any cost.
I loved the writing, the characters, the descriptions, and the history that went into this book. I learned a lot not having studied much about the Caribbean islands at all. It was quite slow at several moments, however, it worked well for me in this context. We get to know Rachel intimately as well as the memories of her children. I particularly loved Mary Grace and her story. While the heart of this book is about Rachel's natural-born children, this is also a story about found family. This is definitely one to take your time with and let it all sink in.
When the so-called end of slavery comes, Rachel is quick to learn that the word has only changed to 'apprentice'. Seeing that nothing will change for her and unable to stomach the thought of another six years of confinement and brutal labor, she takes off in search of the children that were taken away from her and sold. This is no easy feat, not even sure if any of the five have survived. She doesn't let her think about this possibility too much. She is determined to reunite with them at any cost.
I loved the writing, the characters, the descriptions, and the history that went into this book. I learned a lot not having studied much about the Caribbean islands at all. It was quite slow at several moments, however, it worked well for me in this context. We get to know Rachel intimately as well as the memories of her children. I particularly loved Mary Grace and her story. While the heart of this book is about Rachel's natural-born children, this is also a story about found family. This is definitely one to take your time with and let it all sink in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Slavery, and Grief
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse and Miscarriage
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This story was very good, but at times it was obvious it was written by a debut author. A sad, sad story—we follow Rachel, a slave who escapes her plantation in Barbados with a goal of finding her five children who were sold away at young ages. The book had the same sense of adventure as American Dirt without the grit, anger, and heart pounding action. I felt satisfied by the book’s ending but I was not moved to tears. Still a solid Book of the Month selection!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
quiettalker's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rachel has spent her life in enslavement on a sugar plantation in Barbados. Though she has given birth to many children, they have all been taken away from her. Rachel lost babies to stillbirth and disease, but the five who grew into childhood were taken from her and sold to other plantations.
Although emancipation comes at the start of the book, it brings no real freedom because of the "apprenticeships" which bind all enslaved people to their enslavers for another 6 years. Faced with this reality, Rachel decides to run and soon finds herself on a journey to find freedom, which for her means collecting the stories of her stolen children.
Rachel's journey takes her from Bridgetown, to British Guiana, to Trinidad, and although it's not an "adventure story", it often felt like it followed a heroes journey arch. The result is a touching, informative, and introspective adventure about a middle-aged women taking back self-determination. Rachel and her children's experiences overlap with Indigenous Caribbean characters in a way that I found to be beautiful and informative.
There are two author's notes which really help show the research that went into the time, setting and characters, as well as the choices around language. I love this vein of historical fiction, and though I have read a lot of great books that take place on American plantations and tell the shared history of white and black Americans (A Sitting in St. James, The Sweetness of Water) this is the first I've read set in the Caribbean and it really deepened my understanding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and emancipation.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the ARC.
Although emancipation comes at the start of the book, it brings no real freedom because of the "apprenticeships" which bind all enslaved people to their enslavers for another 6 years. Faced with this reality, Rachel decides to run and soon finds herself on a journey to find freedom, which for her means collecting the stories of her stolen children.
Rachel's journey takes her from Bridgetown, to British Guiana, to Trinidad, and although it's not an "adventure story", it often felt like it followed a heroes journey arch. The result is a touching, informative, and introspective adventure about a middle-aged women taking back self-determination. Rachel and her children's experiences overlap with Indigenous Caribbean characters in a way that I found to be beautiful and informative.
There are two author's notes which really help show the research that went into the time, setting and characters, as well as the choices around language. I love this vein of historical fiction, and though I have read a lot of great books that take place on American plantations and tell the shared history of white and black Americans (A Sitting in St. James, The Sweetness of Water) this is the first I've read set in the Caribbean and it really deepened my understanding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and emancipation.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse and Miscarriage