A review by nmcannon
Dessa Rose by Sherley Anne Williams
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.