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peachani's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Confinement, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Death
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual content, and Violence
teariffic's review
4.0
This book was moving and interesting. I admired the writing style and also deeply appreciated the focus on female main characters. (The emphasis on the treatment of women of all races by white men was intriguing.) The three sections of the book all have a different tone; I was extremely surprised when Odessa was revealed to be so young in the second section of the book, as the first section gave me a mental image of a middle aged woman. I found the presentation of the relationship between Odessa and Rufel to be interesting - I personally felt that Rufel did not necessarily deserve the postscript describing her kindness. However, I admired Odessa individually greatly. Moreover, the skillfulness with which the author switched between different points of view while still focusing on Odessa was impressive.
rozz's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.0
lmcintosh08's review
3.0
An entertaining but somewhat predictable story about the friendship of a black woman and a white woman living in the South.
nmcannon's review
5.0
Once upon a time, I entered a bookshop and was immediately bowled over by how white-centric it was: white, heterosexual authors writing about white, heterosexual people stuffed every single shelf, no matter the genre. I glared, rolled up my sleeves, and dug through the stacks until I found & purchased the treasure that is DESSA ROSE by Sherley Anne Williams.
DESSA ROSE follows the journey of the title character as she fights against slavery, racism, and her own prejudices to win her freedom and a fulfilling, happy life. Though set in the 1830s and before slavery was made illegal, this book was very reminiscent of THE COLOR PURPLE and THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, which are two of my favorite books ever. Like Walker and Hurston, Williams preserved the accent and dialect of black communities whenever the POV was a black person. Men were supporting characters, and the story focused on femininity and womanhood. The structure of the novel mirrored Dessa's growth into a free individual, free of society's (literal) shackles.
Though the works are similar, Williams adds a dimension that Hurston and Walker chose not too: the white perspective. While Dessa's journey is obviously central, chunks of the book are told from the perspective of Nemi, a white man writing a book on rebellious slaves, and Ruth Elizabeth, a white plantation owner who harbors runaway slaves. Their sections seemed like an intentional call back and reversal of Glenn Ligon's PRISONER OF LOVE #1 (SECOND VERSION): "We are the ink that gives the white page meaning." Both characters illuminate the toxicity of slavery and play out various typical Southern white reactions to it. It was nice that I, as a white person, could cheer on Ruth's dismantling of her own prejudices.
I don't want to give too much else away because it's a novel to discover on your own, but rest assured that my English major/writer brain was left in a tizzy of delight analyzing this work. While the content is intense enough that I understand why people are hesitant to teach it, this book packs a whole lot of punch for 240 pages, and should be taught in every mature classroom. I'm shocked I haven't seen it on more "Must Read" lists, that I only came upon this masterwork by chance. I recommend this book to all human beings.
DESSA ROSE follows the journey of the title character as she fights against slavery, racism, and her own prejudices to win her freedom and a fulfilling, happy life. Though set in the 1830s and before slavery was made illegal, this book was very reminiscent of THE COLOR PURPLE and THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, which are two of my favorite books ever. Like Walker and Hurston, Williams preserved the accent and dialect of black communities whenever the POV was a black person. Men were supporting characters, and the story focused on femininity and womanhood. The structure of the novel mirrored Dessa's growth into a free individual, free of society's (literal) shackles.
Though the works are similar, Williams adds a dimension that Hurston and Walker chose not too: the white perspective. While Dessa's journey is obviously central, chunks of the book are told from the perspective of Nemi, a white man writing a book on rebellious slaves, and Ruth Elizabeth, a white plantation owner who harbors runaway slaves. Their sections seemed like an intentional call back and reversal of Glenn Ligon's PRISONER OF LOVE #1 (SECOND VERSION): "We are the ink that gives the white page meaning." Both characters illuminate the toxicity of slavery and play out various typical Southern white reactions to it. It was nice that I, as a white person, could cheer on Ruth's dismantling of her own prejudices.
I don't want to give too much else away because it's a novel to discover on your own, but rest assured that my English major/writer brain was left in a tizzy of delight analyzing this work. While the content is intense enough that I understand why people are hesitant to teach it, this book packs a whole lot of punch for 240 pages, and should be taught in every mature classroom. I'm shocked I haven't seen it on more "Must Read" lists, that I only came upon this masterwork by chance. I recommend this book to all human beings.
booknblues's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Sherley Anne Williams a poet and novelist who wrote Dessa Rose was admired by Toni Morrison among others. Dessa Rose was critically acclaimed and adapted as a play which premiered in 2005.
I was intrigued by the books description of a friendship between two women one white and one black in the antebellum south. To call it a friendship is to simplify the complicated relationship between these two women. It is an interesting story which is much more than a story about friendship. The two main characters whose eyes the story is told through are Dessa Rose and escaped slave and Ruth Sutton who owns the plantation in Alabama called The Glen.
We see the misunderstandings which can easily develop across racial and social barriers. We also see how difficult it can be to rise above these barriers.
When, Dessa Rose ended, I wanted a sequel about what happened in these characters lives.
One question, I had was how likely life that was described in the plantation The Glen was. I think that Toni Morrison answered it by saying:
"Do you think that in a way Sherley’s novel is a fantasy? TM: No, I don’t. I’m sure those situations and those relationships existed, because there’s so much effort to erase them—they must have existed a lot. Or people were fearful that they might.
I was intrigued by the books description of a friendship between two women one white and one black in the antebellum south. To call it a friendship is to simplify the complicated relationship between these two women. It is an interesting story which is much more than a story about friendship. The two main characters whose eyes the story is told through are Dessa Rose and escaped slave and Ruth Sutton who owns the plantation in Alabama called The Glen.
We see the misunderstandings which can easily develop across racial and social barriers. We also see how difficult it can be to rise above these barriers.
When, Dessa Rose ended, I wanted a sequel about what happened in these characters lives.
One question, I had was how likely life that was described in the plantation The Glen was. I think that Toni Morrison answered it by saying:
"Do you think that in a way Sherley’s novel is a fantasy? TM: No, I don’t. I’m sure those situations and those relationships existed, because there’s so much effort to erase them—they must have existed a lot. Or people were fearful that they might.
bibliofilth's review
3.0
Was into it in the beginning but it lost me in the latter part of the novel. It felt like it was purposefully slow and building to something but then the ending was rushed. Switch to first person was jarring. Ironically, for a novel primarily about characters the two main characters are pretty vague. Their relationship with each other is stagnant for a good chunk of the novel, but by the time they start to warm up to each other/become friends it takes place in the span of only 20 pages or so, which reduces the emotional payoff. I would've also liked to see Dessa interact with her child more. He's such an important part of the story but he's treated more like a prop and she spends more time thinking about her rivalry than she does her baby.
That being said, writing is good, characters are interesting, and it doesn't shy away from horrific/risque topics. The depiction of slavery is terrifying but realistic. I also thought that having the white character come to recognize the system for what it truly is was a nice way of guiding the reader to the same destination. The switching between perspectives worked well here.
Decent read, some excellent parts but ultimately a bit of a letdown for me.
That being said, writing is good, characters are interesting, and it doesn't shy away from horrific/risque topics. The depiction of slavery is terrifying but realistic. I also thought that having the white character come to recognize the system for what it truly is was a nice way of guiding the reader to the same destination. The switching between perspectives worked well here.
Decent read, some excellent parts but ultimately a bit of a letdown for me.
christytidwell's review
3.0
Dessa Rose tells the story of Dessa Rose, a young (teenaged) black slave who, after her lover is killed and she attacks her mistress, is beaten savagely and sold away. While being transported, she and several others revolt and escape, killing white men in the attempt. Dessa is captured after the attempt and only remains alive as long as she does because she is pregnant and it is decided that she should give birth before she is executed.
Part One of the book is about the period of time during which she is held captive before her scheduled execution. During this time, a white man, Adam Nehemiah, comes and interviews her for a book he is writing about escaped slaves. The first section alternates between her perspective and his.
Part Two takes place after Dessa is stolen away from this captivity by three escaped slaves and taken to Miss Rufel's plantation. Miss Rufel harbors escaped slaves--but not out of the goodness of her heart. She does so because her husband is gone, her slaves have mostly run away, and she needs the help in keeping the plantation running. They do work for her in exchange for relative freedom. This section alternates between Miss Rufel's perspective and Dessa's.
Part Three follows the scheme of the runaways to have Miss Rufel sell them into slavery repeatedly, so that they can earn the money and then run away back to Miss Rufel, who will sell them again to someone else. They will do this, risk being sold again, risk being caught in this deception, in order to raise money to move out west, where there is no slavery. This section is all told from Dessa's first-person perspective.
The plot is interesting enough, based on real-life happenings, and Williams does a nice job illustrating the various motivations of Dessa, Miss Rufel, and Nehemiah. They each want something and they each come with their own prejudices and hatreds. Seeing the story unfold through their varied perspectives provides a fuller picture than merely seeing the story unfold through Dessa's perspective would.
However, despite the interesting plot and the insights into multiple characters, something is missing here. Perhaps what is missing is depth. Dessa Rose, for instance, has been beaten horribly and scarred, but this experience remains distanced from the reader. It is mostly recounted at second or third hand as opposed to being experienced or remembered with Dessa. Because of this distance, this transformative experience of Dessa's is no more than a plot point. It could be a way into her character, but we are denied that closeness. This is not just true of Dessa; it never feels as though the reader is able to delve too deeply into any one character. There are snatches of insight, but no real sense of the way that one or another person's mind works. And without this personal, internal logic, the changing ways in which Dessa and Miss Rufel relate to one another, as well as the growing romances between Miss Rufel and Nathan and between Dessa and Harker, lack significance and remain about as compelling as the relationships of a soap opera or melodrama--interesting on the surface but with no real power to move the reader.
Part One of the book is about the period of time during which she is held captive before her scheduled execution. During this time, a white man, Adam Nehemiah, comes and interviews her for a book he is writing about escaped slaves. The first section alternates between her perspective and his.
Part Two takes place after Dessa is stolen away from this captivity by three escaped slaves and taken to Miss Rufel's plantation. Miss Rufel harbors escaped slaves--but not out of the goodness of her heart. She does so because her husband is gone, her slaves have mostly run away, and she needs the help in keeping the plantation running. They do work for her in exchange for relative freedom. This section alternates between Miss Rufel's perspective and Dessa's.
Part Three follows the scheme of the runaways to have Miss Rufel sell them into slavery repeatedly, so that they can earn the money and then run away back to Miss Rufel, who will sell them again to someone else. They will do this, risk being sold again, risk being caught in this deception, in order to raise money to move out west, where there is no slavery. This section is all told from Dessa's first-person perspective.
The plot is interesting enough, based on real-life happenings, and Williams does a nice job illustrating the various motivations of Dessa, Miss Rufel, and Nehemiah. They each want something and they each come with their own prejudices and hatreds. Seeing the story unfold through their varied perspectives provides a fuller picture than merely seeing the story unfold through Dessa's perspective would.
However, despite the interesting plot and the insights into multiple characters, something is missing here. Perhaps what is missing is depth. Dessa Rose, for instance, has been beaten horribly and scarred, but this experience remains distanced from the reader. It is mostly recounted at second or third hand as opposed to being experienced or remembered with Dessa. Because of this distance, this transformative experience of Dessa's is no more than a plot point. It could be a way into her character, but we are denied that closeness. This is not just true of Dessa; it never feels as though the reader is able to delve too deeply into any one character. There are snatches of insight, but no real sense of the way that one or another person's mind works. And without this personal, internal logic, the changing ways in which Dessa and Miss Rufel relate to one another, as well as the growing romances between Miss Rufel and Nathan and between Dessa and Harker, lack significance and remain about as compelling as the relationships of a soap opera or melodrama--interesting on the surface but with no real power to move the reader.
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