A review by acozyadventurer
Remembrance by Rita Woods
4.0
“Remembrance…It’s a rumor, a whisper passed in the fields and veiled behind sheets of laundry. A hidden stop on the underground road to freedom, a safe haven protected by more than secrecy…if you can make it there.”
If I’m being honest, I’m a little lost as to where to begin with this one. This book is in no ways a simple read, but it’s intense and it’s honest and it’s fascinating.
The story jumps between three timelines: we’ve got the present-day life of Gaelle, the 1850s life of Margot, and the 1790s life of Abigail. What’s immediately evident about these women is that they’re all dealing with the realities of what being black can mean in any day and age. What’s more, is that an underlying thread seems to pull between them, interweaving their stories and the bits of magic that they possess.
Remembrance, in its simplicity, is a safe haven for runaway slaves. In its entirety, it’s a hope and a home and all the power that can mean to someone. It’s historical fiction with more than a touch of fantasy, creating a magical environments alongside its harsh realities.
This book was both intriguing and educational for me. I always say I want to read more historical fiction and then rarely pick it up because the truth is, history can hurt- a lot of historical fiction deals in tragedy. But change is bred from the empathy and respect we only learn to have when we put ourselves in the shoes of other times and places and colors, so diversifying my reading is a habit I’m learning to hold.
If I’m being honest, I’m a little lost as to where to begin with this one. This book is in no ways a simple read, but it’s intense and it’s honest and it’s fascinating.
The story jumps between three timelines: we’ve got the present-day life of Gaelle, the 1850s life of Margot, and the 1790s life of Abigail. What’s immediately evident about these women is that they’re all dealing with the realities of what being black can mean in any day and age. What’s more, is that an underlying thread seems to pull between them, interweaving their stories and the bits of magic that they possess.
Remembrance, in its simplicity, is a safe haven for runaway slaves. In its entirety, it’s a hope and a home and all the power that can mean to someone. It’s historical fiction with more than a touch of fantasy, creating a magical environments alongside its harsh realities.
This book was both intriguing and educational for me. I always say I want to read more historical fiction and then rarely pick it up because the truth is, history can hurt- a lot of historical fiction deals in tragedy. But change is bred from the empathy and respect we only learn to have when we put ourselves in the shoes of other times and places and colors, so diversifying my reading is a habit I’m learning to hold.