After reading some of Alex Haley’s other work, I could not wait to get my hands on this piece. The book proves to be an epic overview of the slave era in America, told in a multi-generational narrative that will pull the reader in while exploring a country coming of age. Collaborating with David Stevens, Haley develops a strong story that is an essential read for anyone wishing to understand just how intense things got in the South. James ‘Jamie’ Jackson was a youth in an Ireland that offered no mercy for its religious minority. Hailing from a a Protestant family, Jackson knew he could only be safe by traveling to the recently established United States of America at the end of the 18th century. When he arrived, Jackson felt the electricity of a country that had recently shed its shackles and wanted to be free. After a short time, Jackson settled in Nashville, alongside another family member whose rise to fame was in the making. While Jackson did not see the need, he was encouraged to take slaves as he set himself up to prosper in his new country. Soon seeing the benefit, Jackson became a slaveholder as he started a family, which included a son, Jass. Things were going so well that a move to the Deep South, around Atlanta, became an essential, with Jass growing up and soon accepting slaveholding as well. Jass matured while surrounded by many of the slaves his family kept, while America began its transformation. One slave in particular, Easter, caught Jass’ eye, though they both knew it was forbidden. Still, as Jass fought his inner urges and demons, he and Easter found time to consummate a passion that could have seen them both brutally punished. Jass knew that he could not take his connection to Easter public and buried it by turning to a woman who was more acceptable. Still, Jass was willing to hold a place for Easter in his heart. The birth of Queen proved to be a wonderful gift for both Jass and Easter, a beautiful mixed-race child who could pass for white, but who still had strong ties to her mother’s coloured roots. When war broke out between the North and South, Jass left to fight, with a young Queen knowing the truth about who he was, even if it was forbidden to admit. Queen grew and lived through many of America’s coming of age moments, eventually being freed and sent off into the world. While her literal shackles were gone, this was a time when old habits and sentiments were slow to change, even for a Queen. A masterful journey through many generations, Haley and Stevens depict the horrors of slavery and the slow discovering of freedom for a country that prided itself on acceptable. Highly recommended to those who love a powerful story of hope and despair, with historical events woven into the fabric of the larger narrative.

I read Haley’s classic book, Roots, a number of years ago. I was pulled into the story from the early-going and could not stop myself reading, even as the horrors of slavery were front and centre. This novel is a spin on that one, allowing Haley and Stevens to offer up some new and interesting takes on the slow maturity of America through the slave trade and into an era of ‘freedom’ for all. There are a few key characters who grace the pages of the book and whose stories seem to connect well at various points. The Jamie and Jass storylines connect well, as they are both characters who matured and come to understand life in a particular way; that slavery was an inherent part of the American experience. While Jamie accepted owning people was part of the business model he needed, Jass found himself tempted by love when the country was anything but colourblind. The inclusion of the Easter and Queen characters added flavour to the tale, enriching the experience and permitting the reader to see things from the other side. The authors depict life as a slave as being anything but glorious, from daily beatings and backbreaking labours, through the to understanding that they are anything but free to live and prosper. These themes prove more powerful than can be easily depicted in this review, but the reader will surely find many examples as they devour this piece. While the authors use historical events as the backbone of the piece, there are some interesting questions and sentiments posited throughout the narrative. What might have happened if the Southern colonies never joined together after tossing the British out during the War of Independence? Might America and this southern offshoot have been their own countries that could live in harmony, while differing in their views? Haley and Stevens offer a few more of these gems, interspersed with the impactful description of the daily experiences of the slaves on plantations. Even later in the book, there is a strong picture painted post-Civil War, as the country tried to amend its thinking, even in the North. All this adds to the wonders of the story. With a mix of short and longer chapters, paired with a stunning collection of characters, the authors deliver a story that will break the reader’s heart while also pull them in to read on. By no means a light read, this is one classic novel that I will never regret taking the time to read.

Kudos, Messrs. Haley and Stevens, for a powerful look at the world in a different era. While the times may have changed, some would feel that some old mentalities have returned, pitting person against person in hopes of finding their own truth.

This book serves as the October 2019 selection for the Mind the Bookshelf Gap Reading Group.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons