The @alphasigmaalpha book club pick that we selected instead of the original book was amazing!!! @cajuntrinity knows my love of history and she selected for us to read this book which is set on Cane River. Cane River is a small river that break off the Red River at Campti and joins back up in Colfax. This is a multigenerational book about a slave family told in 3 parts, from 1834 to 1936. The 3 parts are told from the matriarch narrative. I loved reading the rich history and narrative of a place where I lived for 4 years of my life. I just wish I knew how amazing this place was when I lived there. If you read this book and you need help with pronunciations, let me know! #caneriver #lalitatademy #pipesreads

Amazing...

Wow, I never knew that I read so many Oprah books. I certainly never went out of my way to read them.

Cane River is an engrossing family saga that takes place in Louisiana and spans 4 generations. It is loosely based on the author's own family. The story explores the cruelty of slavery, racial boundaries, love and family dynamics.

At times, this book was emotionally painful to read, yet I couldn’t wait to get back to it. I liked the pace of the book, and I learned a lot. I am so glad I read it.

I recommend this for all the women I know in the Downtown Book Club.

I really enjoyed this book.

Wow. Just read it.

This book was historical fiction at it's best! About the color issue for Black women.. New Orleans had it's own rules among black women and Tadmey does a great job at giving us insight

Cane River is an example of why I like to read historical fiction. Imagination married to facts creates wonderful reading. It certainly did in this book!

Bravo Ms. Tademy for her first work of historical fiction. I know I’m late with this as this book has been out for some time, but achieving success in the historical fiction genre is no small feat. This book is very easy to read. You can tell immediately that she has certainly done her research in regards to this time period involving Louisiana, slaves and emancipation. It is also evident that she has done her homework discovering how her personal family history fits into this. Trying to research family history is difficult and time consuming within itself let alone trying to trace ancestral lines that go back into slavery. Most of us reach the “wall of slavery” in our research efforts and the trail goes cold. So, once again, kudos for her diligence, progress and success.

Lalita Tademy successfully mixes elements of her families factual history with researched period details to create a sprawling generational account of love, family, choices and sacrifice. Four stalwart generations of women of color tell the story of their lives and the steps they took living life in response to the twists and curves that were thrown at them. Our journey starts with Suzette but at the head of the family is our grand matriarch Elisabeth, a slave who works in the cook house on the Derbane plantation. Elisabeth is described as a dark complexioned woman who was sold to the Derbanes from a relation’s plantation in Virginia. Elisabeth, who has experienced real hardship and loss within the bounds of slavery is a quiet woman who sees a lot but tries to stay in her place. Suzette, one of her daughters, carries us through most of her and her mother’s story of heartbreak, strength and resolve there on the plantation. Philomene, Suzette’s mulatto daughter picks up the narrative breaking the mold in a line of subservient slave women. Philomene tells us a true love story in the midst of bondage. Philomene, described as a woman with piercing eyes, who when pushed to the brink, learns to manipulate the components of her situation to get what she wants and needs for her family. She is the strength and level head of her family young and old. Lastly, we meet Emily who carries the torch into the future. Emily, is described as a petite fair skinned quadroon. Emily, who’s had many advantages considering her status, carries a certain air of grandeur, pumped up pride and conceit about her what she feels is the privilege of her fair skin. Emily, the last leg from the heavy past, begot the seeds of the future leading to our author in the present.

My feelings on the book: As I noted when I started reading this book, I've actually owned this book for some time. I attempted to start it previously but I assume I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to take on the subject matter. Although the reading of this book is quite smooth and flows nicely, slavery, is no easy subject to digest. I must admit that a few times some of the hardships these women had to deal with within the bounds of slavery brought me to tears. I had to stop and compose myself before continuing. I actually thought near the beginning of book that I would have to put it down and switch books. Not due to any disturbing detail just the emotion brought on by the fact that this is a situation some of my very own ancestors dealt with, gave me pause. It wasn't all bad and these women, as I'm sure most during this time in America's history, learned to persevere in whatever little ways they could. This was the encouragement to keep reading. If they could press on, I could keep reading about it.

I'm giving this book 4 stars for two reasons.
#1 Although I respect the author for her efforts and success, towards the very end of the book, the last few chapters seemed rushed and weary. As if after all the tiring detail throughout the majority of the book, the last few chapters were a quick run down of relative names and a few quick little stories to get the reader to the link between these people and the author. It just seemed rushed and maybe the steam had gone out.
#2 Reason is a heavy one. In the words of one of my favorite comedian's who did a skit on it, "this racism is killing me!" I can take a book about the history of slavery in America. We all know what that entails as a subject. It's heavy enough but this inner race racism between the various colors and shades of African American people, though it is a reality, I can't take it. I don't subscribe to it. I personally think it's debilitating to the strength of a people and it enrages me. One shade on the canvas is not better than the other, although some may feel otherwise. One is not more true or real than the other. I've seen it, I've heard it, I've experienced it. Yes, unfortunately it is a reality in history and surprisingly yes, even in present times but I hate it. These are my own personal opinions and they tie in with my rating because of the overtone that annoyed me. The impression that this one or that one had more opportunities based on her skin tone, ticked me off because at the end of it all, she still had to get waited on second in the store and still needed to sit in the back of the bus. Maybe because I'm from a later generation but to deny one's true, God blessed identity and mask with this air of superiority that is rooted in self hate, preposterous to me. It's a self induced repetition of the ideals that slavery was built on. A self induced slavery. And I could be wrong but this is my opinion that in some ways, there was an undertone that glorified this way of thinking. All, of that was my own opinion, which I'm entitled to.

All in all, this was a good thought provoking, emotion stirring historical fiction and I do recommend it to those who can handle the subject.

I took my time in reading this, and I’m glad I did. Lalita Tademy left a dream job in order to do extensive research into her ancestry. What she found were generations of strong women, who she gave voice to in Cane River.

The book follows Elizabeth, her daughter, Suzette, also Suzette’s daughter Philomene, and her daughter, Emily.

I found their stories gripping and deeply moving. If you’ve never read this one, I would recommend it. It is a stark look into history and a testament to the determination of the human spirit. I’m glad this was written, and that these women will be remembered.

5 stars

A multi generational story told from pre-civil war through the early 1900’s. I like how life is seen through the eyes of slaves, then freed slaves, and then to free blacks who still have no rights. Such a powerful story and you get to know each generation as the story goes on. A must read for fans of Deep South history. Also, the author is an ancestor of the family she is writing about. She found many documents, wills, contracts, as well as her own family’s words to lay out this true account of her family.