• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Challenges
  • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Books of Amber

Latest Posts

Debut Author Interview & Debut Giveaway: Dana Swift, Cast in Firelight

Book Review: Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida

Book Review: The Survivors by Jane Harper

Cane River by Lalita Tademy

13/05/2014      1 Comment

Cane River by Lalita TademyCane River by Lalita Tademy
Genre: Historical
Release Date: 1st April, 2002
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Bought
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: four-stars

The "New York Times" bestseller and Oprah's Book Club Pick--the unique and deeply moving epic of four generations of African-American women based on one family's ancestral past.

 This was Lauren’s Epic Rec for March. Pretty sure that between the two of us we’ll have crossed every literary genre in existence by December tbh.

Cane River tells the story of three generations of women in one African-American family. Partly biographical, since Cane River is an account of Tademy’s family ancestry, the book weaves fiction with real events that occurred throughout these women’s lives. Taking place in Cane River, a small Louisiana region surrounded by cotton plantations, the book charts the historical events that shaped the area and the people living in it, from the slaves who were owned by the plantation owners, to the racial tension between the white landowners and the free people of colour who lived and worked in the region. It is a vivid account of slavery but also of the unique Creole culture that developed in Louisiana during the colonial period.

The book introduces us to three protagonists – Suzette, Philomene, and Emily. Suzette is the mother of Philomene and the grandmother of Emily, and it is with her the story begins. Born a slave, Suzette dreams of a better life, one in which she can be allowed to learn to read so that she can move as far away from the possibility of life as a field slave. Suzette’s account of life as a slave – the constant fear that her family could be separated in the name of business as well as the inability to refuse the men who owned her – is poignant. She grows from a girl to a woman and passes the narrative onto her daughter, Philomene. Philomene is a force of nature tbh, determined, ruthless and armed with a mind as sharp as knives. I loved her. She is also born into slavery but the Civil War comes to Louisiana during her and her mother’s lifetimes, and through Philomene we are given a rich description of wartime on the plantations and, with the end of the Civil War, the freedom experienced by Philomene as well as every other former slave in the South. Emily is the first free woman born in her family and she lives a life free from the fear of slavery, marrying a white man and giving birth to children who will never be considered as property in the eyes of the law ever again. Each of these women experience an extraordinary amount of suffering but their strength and determination to make a better life for their family sees them through. The strong bond between these women is the backbone of this novel.

Tademy’s prose is simple but vivid; she writes with simplicity but still brings to life the world her characters are living in. It was a trip reading this book because I fell so deep into the writing that I could actually smell the food she was describing and feel the hot Louisiana sunshine, only to look up and see England outside my window. The historical aspect was also fascinating as was the commentary on society and culture during the colonial era.

Definitely worthy of a four-star rating and a place on my bookshelves forever.

 Page Count: 522chunkster challenge 2014a

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren says

    13/05/2014 at 6:27 pm

    heeeee I’m glad you liked it! This was one of many books I had to read for my African American Women’s Fiction course at uni, and it was literally the only book I didn’t walk away from wanting to scrub my brain from the sheer horror tbh. It’s a beautiful book and I’m so happy it got 4 stars from you! Obviously I am getting better at this reccing thing…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe via Email

Join 4,581 other subscribers

Current Giveaways

None

Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Upcoming Reviews

None yet!

Blogroll

  • All About Books
  • Artsy Musings of a Bibliophile
  • I Should Read That
  • Lisa is Busy Nerding
  • My Friends Are Fiction
  • Recaptains
  • The Daily Prophecy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Hello!

Hello!

My name is Amber, I'm 27 years old, and I've been a book blogger, reviewer, and Tuber for ten years. When I'm not reading, I love gaming, exercising, cinema trips, hiking, and exploring.

Welcome to my blog!

Subscribe!

Blog Archive

Categories

Follow us on Instagram

(This book was sent to me by the author as a gift) (This book was sent to me by the author as a gift)

Happy release day to The Effort! I'm so excited to read this apocalyptic story about people coming together to prevent a global crisis. Like I said the other day, I'm really into disaster stories lately 😊

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #bookish #debutauthors #21ders #debutbooks #debutshowcase #dac21 #the21ders #reading #igbooks #booksofig #igreads #book
* ad - book provided by publisher for free in exch * ad - book provided by publisher for free in exchange for an honest review *

I'm smashing through my physical ARCs this week, which means it's almost time for me to read This is Not the Jess Show! I'm excited for this one, if a little cautious about how similar to The Truman Show it's going to be.

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #yabooks #bookish #youngadultbooks #booksofig #igreads #currentlyreading #igbooks #bookstagramuk #bookstagrammer
The first week back at work put me in an unfortuna The first week back at work put me in an unfortunate reading slump, but I'm hoping Hold Back the Stars will get me out of it! I'm going to be reading this one today and hopefully forgetting about real life.

#books #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #bookish #sff #sffbooks #holdbackthestars #bookstoread #currentlyreading #reading #igbooks #booksofig #igreads #bookstagramuk #booksbooksbooks #bookgram
* ad - book provided by publisher for free in exch * ad - book provided by publisher for free in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely blasted through The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe this week! I was worried I was getting slumpy from too much sff so I switched to a YA thriller and WHEW, it was excellent. 

The Girls I've Been is about a girl called Nora who is the daughter of a con artist (and also bi!). She's living her own life now away from her mother, and then someone tries to rob a bank while she's inside it.

This was so fast paced and I love that it was told in a non linear format. Trigger warnings for lots of things, though. You can find the full list on the author's website but the main one for me was domestic violence.

#books #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #yabooks #thegirlsivebeen #yathrillers #yathriller #thrillerbooks #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #reading
Because I like to read about other apocalypses dur Because I like to read about other apocalypses during pandemics, apparently.

 I've just started The Lightest Object in the Universe and I'm intrigued! Have you read it?

#books #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #bookstagramuk #currentlyreading #dystopia #dystopianbooks #apocalypse #sff #sffbooks #bookish #booktube #smallbookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks
*AD - book gifted by publisher in exchange for an *AD - book gifted by publisher in exchange for an honest review* 

Siri, Who Am I? was my final read of 2020 and it was a fun one. While I didn't love how the main character treated others, particularly her attitude towards sex workers, I did like how fast paced this one was and the slight mystery element mixed with Rich People Drama kept me reading. Will I reread it? No. But I enjoyed my time with it well enough.

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #bookreview #smallbookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #siriwhoami #romcom #reading
I'm supposed to be starting The Bear and the Night I'm supposed to be starting The Bear and the Nightingale on Tuesday for my weekly buddy read, but I want to read it now! I should probably finish some of the books I've already started though.

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #bookstoread #tbr #tbrpile #toread #readingpile #reading #bookaddict #igbooks #booksofig #igreads #thebearandthenightingale #winternighttrilogy
Yes, I'm still reading this 😂 I'm trying to fin Yes, I'm still reading this 😂 I'm trying to finish it by the end of the year but who knows if that'll happen? I'm enjoying buddy reading it with @ishouldreadthat though, and I'm sure she's appreciating my rants and fangirling.

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #wordsofradiance #thewayofkings #Stormlight #stormlightarchive #brandonSanderson #fantasybooks #sff
I am so unbelievably excited to try this YA thrill I am so unbelievably excited to try this YA thriller this month. I am tempted to drop everything and pick it up right now but, ya know, commitments.

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #yabooks #youngadultbooks #thrillerbooks #smallbookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #tbr #toberead #tbrpile #agoodgirlsguidetomurder
I just HAD to feature one of my favourite books of I just HAD to feature one of my favourite books of the year, and the start of one of my all time favourite series before the end of 2020. I adore The City of Brass so much, and I recommend it to everyone I come across. I've reread it three times now, and in 2021 I plan to make it four!

What's your favourite fantasy series?

#books #booktube #smallyoutuber #smallyoutubercommunity #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookworm #daevabad #daevabadtrilogy #thecityofbrass #fantasybooks #fantasyreader #fantasy #reading #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #igreads #favoritebooks #christmasbooks #vlogmas #bookmas

Copyright © 2021 ·