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bookishplantmom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
I don't often pick up historical fiction based on slavery because of the work I do as a historian for my day job. This book was recommended to me whilst on an archival research trip years ago. It is very well researched and quite historically accurate. I appreciated the author's emphasis on the close relationship between Saint-Domingue and Louisiana. I would have been interested to have the story better anchor Canada within the history of transatlantic slavery as there is a connection there as well but I also understand that isn't what the story is about. I was very happy with how Zarité's story ended especially her ultimate decision at the very end regarding Valmorain's request. : I loved that Zarité refused him and that she decided not to carry on actively hating him as it was not serving her. I was concerned the author would decide to make Zarité "be the bigger person" and forgive his ass thus falling into the harmful trope of the Mammy figure who is always there to kiss away white people's booboos but thankfully she gave Zarité an ending which honoured the harm she survived while also giving her closure without it being about redemption with the white man. I was not into the whole incest part - it is however historically accurate to have incestuous interracial relationships, that's not my issue. I think my issue was the decision to fold a love story into it. That made me uncomfortable because it implied that consent between Rosette and Maurice was possible when I don't believe is was because of the inherent racial and social power imbalance between them free wealthy white man vs unfree quadroon woman. Anyway, this isn't a Uni lecture it is a book review so I'm going to stop. Overall a great great piece of literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Torture, and Xenophobia
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