slave narrative

Blurb:

Nobody free till everybody free. Moa is fourteen. The only life he has ever known is toiling on the Frontier sugar cane plantation for endless hot days, fearing the vicious whips of the overseers. Then one night he learns of an uprising, led by the charismatic Tacky. Moa is to be a cane warrior, and fight for the freedom of all the enslaved people in the nearby plantations. But before they can escape, Moa and his friend Keverton must face their first great task: to kill their overseer, Misser Donaldson. Time is ticking, and the day of the uprising approaches . . . Irresistible, gripping and unforgettable, Cane Warriors follows the true story of Tacky’s War in Jamaica, 1760.

Review:

I do not normally read middle grade novels but because this one is historical fiction and about a subject that I don’t normally see presented much(sugarcane plantations), I decided I wanted to give it a try.

The thing about slavery that we have to remember is that it was not just a thing in America. It was a thing in so many other countries that were “colonized” during that time frame. Especially in countries in the Caribbean. This particular story is set in Jamaica and is told from the perspective of a 14 year old boy. Now, we know that 14 doesn’t mean manhood but during slavery and even present day, a child of color is not seen as a child when they hit their teenage years. I thought that was something that was very thought provoking while reading this story.

This isn’t a very long book so I do not want to go into great detail about the story. One of the things that I found a bit difficult while reading this story was the switching of the dialect but after talking to a close friend, I have decided that it does not take away from the story. It adds to it.

The risks that this child and the men in this book take in order to gain their freedom is both admirable and heart breaking at the same time. The desire to just be able to live without fear and to be able to just enjoy the basic acts of life.

This is a middle grade book that I would recommend for younger audiences who want to know about the history of slavery that doesn’t take place in America and is also told from the perspective of someone their age.

Rating:

I would definitely read more work by this author. This book would get 2 Golden Girls from me.

Availability:

October 20, 2020 in hardcover, paperback and ebook

A special thank you to Akashic Books and their imprint Black Sheep for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I saw that most of the reviews stated that this was “just another slave narrative” and I’d have to disagree. This really wasn’t a narrative. Yes, Cora was the main character but there were other aspects of the story provided by the other characters. The slave catcher and the Lumbly’s provided the reader insight on how this part of history affected everyone. Slave catchers weren’t always bred to become slave catchers. Poverty will make a person accept any job in order to get money to survive. The Lumbly’s marriage was not one that was between two abolishionists. It was between a man and wife who had 2 separate views on the particular subject. Ethel may not have been outright prejudice but her prejudice was more menacing because it was undercover. Poor Martin was just trying to do what was right because of his father. My favorite chapter was of Cora’s mother. Throughout the book, the feelings towards her are negative until you get her side of the story. Overall, my opinion is that Colson took a story we all know well enough and put a different spin on it. It is much appreciated.

Tag: slave narrative

Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle {ARC Review}