Sharon Ewell Foster

Many know about the Trail of Tears and the constant harassment of the Native American Tribes by the white settlers who came and had no claim to their land, but took it anyway, wherever they went. Many know about the story of slavery and how African Americans were treated by their white owners and their struggles for freedom. But many do not know about the often untold story of those who were slaves among the tribes, how they were treated and what their lives were like. How many readers are aware that there were African American slaves walking the trail of tears?

This story is told from the perspective of a slave, a girl owned by a Cherokee family, who treat her as family, until times change and the time of removal comes closer. I found the change in the characters as they experience this history-in-the-making to be true and honest. The storytelling style of the main character reminded me deeply of the Cherokee stories and telling-styles that I had told to me in the past.

Living in North Carolina, I frequently visit the Cherokee reservation, but even I learned some history by reading this book. The way the author has to describe the removal, the camps and the long walk is amazing in its simplistic-potency. I doubt that any others could say as much with so few words and still hit the point straight to the heart and mind. The end of the book is a little contrived, but that didn't take the emotion away as I discovered what happened to the characters in the story, it only reminded me that this was a fictional family who lived life in a real time in the past. The joys were mine and the final sorrows of knowing that they wouldn't know what I knew were just as real as each character felt in my heart. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read to bring hope through the sadness of history.… (meer)

NCLA Review: Sharon Foster has turned the story of Nat Turner and the slave rebellion he led in 1831 into a spellbinding novel. His story is related through the words of slaves and masters, friends and foes. It details the terrible abuses of any system that is based on the misguided belief that one human being may own another as property. The author not only thoroughly researched written records but also interviewed descendents of people involved in Turner’s revolt. Brought to light are facts mostly ignored before now: that slaves brought from Ethiopia also came from an ancient Christian country with memories of black Madonnas on cathederal walls and that the “confession” supposedly made by Nat Turner during his trial is more fiction than fact. Foster has written one of the most fascinating and thought-provoking novels of recent history. Discussion questions that are included would be helpful for a group study. Rating: 4 —AL… (meer)