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ksowkb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
I wanted to like it because the subject is so interesting, but the last third was so hard to follow. The narrative was so disconnected and character/timelines kept changing and I had to re-read so many passages. I normally love complex historical novels with overlapping timelines, but this seemed to need an editor. It did make me want to learn more about how freed slaves and indigenous communities interacted during the colonizing of the Americas though.
hologlam's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kaminskygirl's review against another edition
3.0
At the beginning of this book I was drawn in - the way storytelling is woven throughout the book is quite beautiful. Yet as the book continued it became too much, as I got tired trying to keep track of which story was being shared by which character, how the different characters were connected, and whose story was being shared at any given time. By the end it was confusing and hard to keep track of, which detracted from the story as a whole.
lbjessome's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Although i enjoyed parts of this book, i do not feel that the various components came together that well. Very mixed feelings about the reading experience because some of it was so strong and memorable but I was left feeling somewhat confused and dissatisfied.
megfindlay's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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? No
2.75
alanacca123's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tiredenglishteacher's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book. Sinda is so strong and such an interesting character. Later in the book, though, I started to struggle to keep all the stories / characters / relationships organized in my head. Felt like some characters were introduced in a way that suggested we would know them more deeply, only to be reduced to flat characters later in the book. Would have liked a family tree!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Kidnapping
samantha1960's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A unique and profound book. However I struggled to connect the various stories within the text and would have appreciated if the author had made the connections between characters more obvious.
clmckinney's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This is about slavery on the Canadian border with the US near Detroit. We follow an incident with a man searching for his escaped slaves. Sinda's story unfolds from there. I liked the the beginning of this novel. The way that the tale slowly unravels was well done. I will be honest though, I am not a big fan of books about this subject matter, so it was a tough read for me. As the story progresses, we venture into war-torn scenes, which is another thing I veer away from, so near the ending, my attention slipped away. I give this one a 3.8/5.
cwill89's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0