A review by melanie_reads
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

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. 
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