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louiseelizabeth's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
5.0
A beautifully written story. Set on a slave plantation in America, a love story between two unlikely people, a slave and an Irish immigrant escaping the famine. The first person narratives drew me in and kept me hooked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
what_will_jess_read_next's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
teachingbooklove's review against another edition
5.0
I didn’t expect this book to become a must finish, can’t put down read, however, that is what it was. The book is told in three POVs: Henry, a poor Irish immigrant, Maple, a house slave who was given to her half sister as a wedding present, and Sarah, a recently acquired house slave. These three all end of on the same plantation where Henry and Sarah fall in love-and Maple through hurt and jealousy tries to undermine and get rid of Sarah at any cost.
What I appreciate most about this book-what the authors note at the end. Huf, a descendant of a slave and Irishman, tells the fictional account of her own family’s story and their journey of love and freedom. This was beautifully written and the voice of each character was well done.
What I appreciate most about this book-what the authors note at the end. Huf, a descendant of a slave and Irishman, tells the fictional account of her own family’s story and their journey of love and freedom. This was beautifully written and the voice of each character was well done.
littlepepperguy's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This book had me enthralled from start to finish. I don't have the right words to describe how much it made me feel and what it now means to me. Genuinely changing.
I would recommend the audiobook, the narrators for the characters get you right up in the story. The performances were just incredible, and they added layers that I don't think I would have picked up on in plain text.
This is a great book and had me so tense and stressed in the best way. I could not recommend it enough. It doesn't shy away from the truly despicable nature of slavery. It has an incredibly power note of enduring love. Idk man, I'm not great at reviews; this was just an incredible book.
I would recommend the audiobook, the narrators for the characters get you right up in the story. The performances were just incredible, and they added layers that I don't think I would have picked up on in plain text.
This is a great book and had me so tense and stressed in the best way. I could not recommend it enough. It doesn't shy away from the truly despicable nature of slavery. It has an incredibly power note of enduring love. Idk man, I'm not great at reviews; this was just an incredible book.
casafutawa's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
williams_ambs's review against another edition
5.0
Henry O’Toole flees the famine in Ireland that kills his family. When he arrives to America, he’s surprised at the anti-Irish prejudice he encounters in NYC. Changing his last name to Taylor, Henry heads south to Virginia as a traveling blacksmith. While at Jubilee Plantation he meets Sarah, an enslaved woman who had just been sold to the plantation. Henry and Sarah form a romance that risks everything. Soon, he promises her freedom…but at what cost?
While dealing with the traumas of their own pasts, and the hardships of their present, Henry and Sarah’s chemistry was undeniable. It was easy to root for them but there were times where I thought Henry was not trustworthy. But as the story moved along you can tell how much he cared and wanted to protect her. Sarah’s character development was amazing. For someone who appeared scared and timid, she ended up growing to sticking up for herself, not taking nonsense from Maple and other slaves, and begins fighting for what she really wants.
Then there was Maple. Her attitude toward Sarah, Henry, and sometimes others was nasty. Maple had every ounce of bitterness in her and I wondered if she was a necessary character. But she was. Maple’s attitude was a response of being scared for her family and feeling helpless. It was sadness and frustration built up inside of her. You end up sympathizing for her. Then once your done sympathizing for her, you still want to slap the **** out of her. So in the end her character balanced out the narrative pretty well.
From start to finish, this book was amazing and I could hardly put it down. This was a compelling story that’s part history, part romance, and part biography. You’re left wanting to know more, wishing to know more about the lives of these three characters. Although this was not your typical slave narrative, it never sugarcoated the harsh realities and the history of slavery.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
While dealing with the traumas of their own pasts, and the hardships of their present, Henry and Sarah’s chemistry was undeniable. It was easy to root for them but there were times where I thought Henry was not trustworthy. But as the story moved along you can tell how much he cared and wanted to protect her. Sarah’s character development was amazing. For someone who appeared scared and timid, she ended up growing to sticking up for herself, not taking nonsense from Maple and other slaves, and begins fighting for what she really wants.
Then there was Maple. Her attitude toward Sarah, Henry, and sometimes others was nasty. Maple had every ounce of bitterness in her and I wondered if she was a necessary character. But she was. Maple’s attitude was a response of being scared for her family and feeling helpless. It was sadness and frustration built up inside of her. You end up sympathizing for her. Then once your done sympathizing for her, you still want to slap the **** out of her. So in the end her character balanced out the narrative pretty well.
From start to finish, this book was amazing and I could hardly put it down. This was a compelling story that’s part history, part romance, and part biography. You’re left wanting to know more, wishing to know more about the lives of these three characters. Although this was not your typical slave narrative, it never sugarcoated the harsh realities and the history of slavery.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
bonniereads777's review against another edition
5.0
Henry O’Toole escapes the Irish potato famine of 1848 and comes to America, unprepared for the hatred against the Irish that greets him in New York. Changing his name to Henry Taylor, he eventually becomes a traveling blacksmith in Virginia, where he meets Sarah, who is enslaved on the Jubilee plantation. When they fall in love, an uphill battle awaits them as interracial marriage is illegal and considered immoral at that time. Also on the plantation is the enslaved Maple, who is actually the half-sister of the mistress of the house. Maple has been forcibly separated from her husband and child in order to serve her sister. Based on the story of the author’s own great-great grandparents, this is a novel that will captivate, shock, and yes, enrage the reader.
What a stunning debut novel by Tammye Huf! The extreme injustice of the time is so well portrayed that it had me in tears. The beautiful love story of Henry and Sarah is made all the better knowing that this is based on a true story. The chapters are divided into multiple points of view, which makes for a compelling read. The author does not hold back in portraying the evil of one man owning another, and the depraved reality of the lashes, neck rings, slave markets, and chains is brought forth for all to see. The truth about the so-called respectable men and women of that era is sobering, but the lights of hope woven into this story are shown in Henry, Sarah, and others who are willing to take risks in order to help. A More Perfect Union is a love story, but also a shocking and heart-rending look at the realities of slavery. It is a must-read for those who want to know the truth about the pre-Civil War South.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
What a stunning debut novel by Tammye Huf! The extreme injustice of the time is so well portrayed that it had me in tears. The beautiful love story of Henry and Sarah is made all the better knowing that this is based on a true story. The chapters are divided into multiple points of view, which makes for a compelling read. The author does not hold back in portraying the evil of one man owning another, and the depraved reality of the lashes, neck rings, slave markets, and chains is brought forth for all to see. The truth about the so-called respectable men and women of that era is sobering, but the lights of hope woven into this story are shown in Henry, Sarah, and others who are willing to take risks in order to help. A More Perfect Union is a love story, but also a shocking and heart-rending look at the realities of slavery. It is a must-read for those who want to know the truth about the pre-Civil War South.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
emilyisoverbooked's review against another edition
4.0
“‘You’re talking about a slave? All this waiting, risking my fortune for a bloody slave.’
The way he’s talking hardens me. I don’t like hearing him call her a slave. It’s what she is, but it’s not who she is, and the word grates in my ears. ‘I’m taking her with me.’”
A More Perfect Union was a very unique and intriguing continuation of historical fiction and romance. I couldn’t put it down! The alternating points of view were fantastically done, adding to the insight given into the lives of slaves and a poor Irishman in mid-1800s America. These characters will capture your heart and you’ll be cheering for them the whole time. This story is based on the true story of the author’s great-great grandparents, which I just think is so amazing. This is truly an epic love story and so well written by Tammye Huf!
Thank you to Forever for this gifted copy.
The way he’s talking hardens me. I don’t like hearing him call her a slave. It’s what she is, but it’s not who she is, and the word grates in my ears. ‘I’m taking her with me.’”
A More Perfect Union was a very unique and intriguing continuation of historical fiction and romance. I couldn’t put it down! The alternating points of view were fantastically done, adding to the insight given into the lives of slaves and a poor Irishman in mid-1800s America. These characters will capture your heart and you’ll be cheering for them the whole time. This story is based on the true story of the author’s great-great grandparents, which I just think is so amazing. This is truly an epic love story and so well written by Tammye Huf!
Thank you to Forever for this gifted copy.
jennsbookstack's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautiful, heart-wrenching story. It is inspired by the author’s real life great-great grandparents. Henry is an Irish immigrant from County Cork who heads to America to escape the destitute and starving conditions during the potato famine. Sarah is an enslaved woman who he meets by chance and quickly falls for. The story is also narrated by Maple, a "white-passing" enslaved woman whose lens offers yet another perspective on the twisted reality of slavery.
As a white man who is also an outsider to this country, Henry’s perspective on slavery is incredibly insightful and really amplifies the way white America justified (& often retroactively continues to justify) the practice of slavery and the superiority of whites over Blacks. Though I often find stories about the realities of slavery disturbing (because it is) for these reasons, I appreciated the many layers of this story and the interactions of the characters offered so much depth of understanding into the complexities of the times and the way we look at it historically.
I loved and appreciated so much about the way the author told this story. It reminded me often of Kindred, by Octavia Butler, and I loved the way she wove in Henry’s lived experiences as an Irish immigrant and his own hardships back in Ireland. “America is a lie.” In many ways, yes. And for many, it continues to be so.
“A More Perfect Union” is a beautiful book and I would definitely recommend it.
As a white man who is also an outsider to this country, Henry’s perspective on slavery is incredibly insightful and really amplifies the way white America justified (& often retroactively continues to justify) the practice of slavery and the superiority of whites over Blacks. Though I often find stories about the realities of slavery disturbing (because it is) for these reasons, I appreciated the many layers of this story and the interactions of the characters offered so much depth of understanding into the complexities of the times and the way we look at it historically.
I loved and appreciated so much about the way the author told this story. It reminded me often of Kindred, by Octavia Butler, and I loved the way she wove in Henry’s lived experiences as an Irish immigrant and his own hardships back in Ireland. “America is a lie.” In many ways, yes. And for many, it continues to be so.
“A More Perfect Union” is a beautiful book and I would definitely recommend it.