#BookReview: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PERSIMMON WILSON by Nancy Peacock

Summary: Sitting in a jail cell on the eve of his hanging, April 1, 1875, freedman Persimmon “Persy” Wilson wants nothing more than to leave some record of the truth—his truth. He may be guilty, but not of what he stands accused: the kidnapping and rape of his former master’s wife.

In 1860, Persy had been sold to Sweetmore, a Louisiana sugar plantation, alongside a striking, light-skinned house slave named Chloe. Their deep and instant connection fueled a love affair and inspired plans to escape their owner, Master Wilson, who claimed Chloe as his concubine. But on the eve of the Union Army’s attack on New Orleans, Wilson shot Persy, leaving him for dead, and fled with Chloe and his other slaves to Texas. So began Persy’s journey across the frontier, determined to reunite with his lost love. Along the way, he would be captured by the Comanche, his only chance of survival to prove himself fierce and unbreakable enough to become a warrior. His odyssey of warfare, heartbreak, unlikely friendships, and newfound family would change the very core of his identity and teach him the meaning and the price of freedom.

Review: When you read a lot, it's not unusual to come across books with similar themes. While The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson was an interesting read, it didn't grab me like other books along this vein have. I try to be as non-biased as possible with books, but knowing that the author was white gave me a bit of discomfort when it came to usage of the n-word. It was sprinkled liberally from the mouths of the enslaved, even more so than their overseers and, at times, it felt forced and inauthentic. Perhaps it's in knowing that of her two novels, both are rooted in slavery themes. What is her fascination with the topic? She does the research but she never quite captures the true essence of her characters.

Though the plot line of The Life and Times is interesting, I'd suggest readers pick up two other books: Anita Bunkley's One Thousand Steps does a much better job of exploring the relationship between enslaved African-Americans and Native Americans; and Leonard Pitts' Freedom, does an amazing job of telling the story of a man that walks the country looking for his lost love following the end of slavery.

336 p.
Published: January 2017
Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own.

Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: THE MOTHERS by Brit Bennett

Much has been made about the debut novel from Brit Bennett and, quite honestly, I’m not sure why. Recognizing that everything isn’t for everyone, I still find it difficult to get excited over what reminds me of a mashup of Christian lit author Reshonda Tate Billingsley and a lesser version of Tina McElroy Ansa. And while I appreciate Tate Billingsley for what she brings to the table and loved McElroy Ansa’s work in the 90s, surely we’ve progressed beyond rehashing overly familiar story lines.

At 17, Nadia Turner is mourning her recently deceased mother, her father’s inability to communicate with her, and her lack of any lasting human connections. Enter Luke Sheppard, a 21 year old preacher’s son – the same preacher of the church her family has attended for as long as she can remember. Nadia is ripe for the picking, but what is Luke’s excuse for getting tangled up with a minor?

His promising football career ended in college, Luke returned to town to lick his wounds. He’s had a few years to get himself together, though he still hasn’t. For now, he’s content to wait tables at a local restaurant. Nadia sees beyond Luke’s limp and his destroyed dreams. He feels important when he’s with her, but not so important that he wants anyone to know he’s seeing Nadia.

It wouldn’t do for the preacher’s son to be seen around town with the local wild child, never mind that her wildness is the direct result of losing her mother and, in effect, her father. The mothers of the church’s tongues are always wagging and news like this would set them on edge. But instead of reaching out to Nadia lovingly and setting her on the right path, she’s judged from beginning to end by all of them, including Luke’s mother.

Love triangles, maturity and distance move the book and characters forward, but at no point does it ever become interesting enough to become a page turner. I guess I kept waiting for something earth shattering to happen, for some revelation to be made, but neither happened. This wasn’t even an average read, just a recycled narrative that’s played itself out far too many times in literature for anyone to get excited by it.

288 p.
Published: October 2016