Afbeelding auteur

David L. Dudley

Auteur van Cy in Chains

4 Werken 85 Leden 5 Besprekingen

Werken van David L. Dudley

Cy in Chains (2013) 35 exemplaren
Caleb's Wars (2011) 32 exemplaren
The Bicycle Man (2005) 17 exemplaren

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In post-Civil War Georgia, a young black "offender" is pressed into forced labor. A powerful, searing story of brutal racism in the Jim Crow south.
 
Gemarkeerd
Sullywriter | 1 andere bespreking | May 22, 2015 |
The 1890s were a difficult time in American history. After slavery had ended, African Americans were free; however, they were still expected to obey the white men. Punishments for disobedience in rural Georgia at the time included being whipped, abused, and killed. Thirteen-year-old Cy Williams has grown up with this unsavory fact of life. He lives with his father on the Strong plantation. He, also, knows how to stay out of trouble and mind his own business. However, when the plantation owner's son, Travis, runs away, Cy goes after his young friend. The result is a tragedy that is unfairly blamed on Cy.

Cy is promptly sent to a chain gang, where the challenges he faced before pale in comparison to life in the labor camp. Conditions at the camp are horrific and leave little hope for freedom or joy. Faced with brutal beatings and sexual abuse over four years, Cy changes from an innocent young boy into an angry young man and finally into a leader the others look up to. Before the story is finished, Cy will risk everything for his friends, himself, and freedom.

The Bottom Line: I received an advance reading copy from the publisher while I was attending the 2013 ALA conference. When I finally got around to reading it, I was hesitant at first. To be honest, I don't read a lot of historical fiction. That being said, Cy in Chains drew me in from the very first page. In fact, I couldn't put it down. Author David L. Dudley has a talent for making the reader feel as if she is right there witnessing the atrocities of the era. The images were so vivid, and the characters were so believable. With each chapter, I just had to know what would happen next. Although the bittersweet ending brought me to tears, I will remember this book for a long time to come.

Highly recommended for mature young adult readers and adults interested in historical fiction. This fast-paced and compelling book explores justice, race relations, and what it means to be free. This would be an excellent pick for a book club as well. NOTE: This book includes graphic depictions of abuse which may not be appropriate for younger readers.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
aya.herron | 1 andere bespreking | Mar 5, 2014 |
From November 2011 SLJ:
Gr 7-10: In 1944 rural Georgia, 15-year-old Caleb has been taught to step off the sidewalk whenever white folks approach and not to talk back to a white person of any age. His older brother enlists to fight the Nazis and is relegated to an all-black unit supervised by white officers. When Caleb's father beats him one time too many, Caleb approaches Mr. Davis about work. The plantation owner has pulled some strings to get German POWs incarcerated close by, so he has all the field help he needs, but he offers Caleb a dishwashing job in his Dixie Belle Café. Then he decides to bring one of the POWs in to the Dixie Belle to help out in the kitchen. Over time, the soldier proves to be a quiet, steady worker, and slowly he and Caleb develop a friendship. When Caleb's parents get news that their older son has been injured and taken prisoner, he feels guilty about the relationship: How can he be civil to a person who represents the enemy? His confusion grows when he sees several POWs eating at the Dixie Belle: even though the townspeople detest them, the color of their skin allows them to be served. Furious, Caleb sits down, leading to a confrontation with Mr. Davis that provides no easy answers, but hints that his battles are just beginning. Caleb is compelling and believable, and Dudley's rich writing is impressive, clearly showing the various wars black Americans were fighting in the 1940s, both abroad and closer to home.… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
KimJD | Apr 8, 2013 |

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Statistieken

Werken
4
Leden
85
Populariteit
#214,931
Waardering
½ 3.6
Besprekingen
5
ISBNs
11

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