melanie_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I'm honestly surprised this book doesn't make more must-read lists by African-American authors. I've been focusing on reading more classic books written by women and people of color and this was on my radar for awhile. I was surprised to find that it wasn't available at my local library branch and had to be ordered through the community college.
Ernest J. Gaines paints an amazing portrait of a Black Woman born into slavery who lives through the start of the Civil Rights Movement. I found the relationship between the Black and White characters (who still own the plantations Black people work on into the 1950s) both realistic and troubling. It was especially troubling because I realized how little that topic is tackled in literature and the surprising (at least to me) realization that post-Reconstruction White people thought they treated Black people well. And for anyone who needs a reminder, slavery isn't exactly ancient history.
I'll be thinking about this one for awhile ... and probably recommending it, too.
Ernest J. Gaines paints an amazing portrait of a Black Woman born into slavery who lives through the start of the Civil Rights Movement. I found the relationship between the Black and White characters (who still own the plantations Black people work on into the 1950s) both realistic and troubling. It was especially troubling because I realized how little that topic is tackled in literature and the surprising (at least to me) realization that post-Reconstruction White people thought they treated Black people well. And for anyone who needs a reminder, slavery isn't exactly ancient history.
I'll be thinking about this one for awhile ... and probably recommending it, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Suicide, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman covers one hundred years of Black history - from the end of the Civil War to the Civil Rights March - in the form of a fictional autobiography. Jane is a fabulous character full of strength, hope and determination, even when many experiences of the harsh realities of life have taken their inevitable toll. On the one hand this novel highlights how few gains the end of slavery actually bought to Black Americans, especially in the South. On the other it showcases the full live, ones with plenty of love and laughter as well as tears, that Jane and other Blacks lived despite the threats and obstacles they faced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
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