false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166573038m/13766.jpg 13766 10 When <i>Cane River</i> was published in 2001, Lalita Tademy established herself as the chronicler of her own family's life, since their arrival here as slaves in the 1800s. Mixing family history, fiction, and fact made the story rich and unforgettable enough that <i>Cane River</i> became an Oprah's Book Club®. Now, with <i>Red River</i>, Tademy has done it again. Writing is a second career for Tademy, who is a former vice-president of Sun Microsystems. She left the corporate world to immerse herself in her family's history--and the history of the south. <p> In 1873 in the small southern town of Colfax, Louisiana, history tells us there was a riot. The Tademy family knows different. "1873. Wasn't no riot like they say. It was a massacre..." The blacks are newly free, just beginning life under Reconstruction, with all its promises of equity, the right to vote, to own property and, most importantly, to decide their own future as individuals. Federal Government troops are supposed to arrive to protect the rights of the colored people--but they are not yet on the scene. <p> In one wretched day, white supremacists destroy all the optimism and bright promise by taking Colfax back in an ugly and violent manner. The tragedy begins with the two sides: the white Democrats of Montgomery and the colored and white Republicans of Colfax in the courthouse, finally meeting face to face to discuss their differences. Then, a group of white thugs kills a colored man who was not involved in the courthouse struggle. He was home minding his business and the ugliness came and found him. <p> The confrontation that follows results in the death of more than 100 black men, killed by white supremacists bent on denying them their voting rights and keeping in office those who uphold the status quo prior to the Civil War. The massacre is only the beginning of Tademy's story. Using reliable sources wherever they may be found, she tells the hard and proud story of Sam Tademy, Israel Smith and their families as they fight their way back from the massacre. They get a foothold in Colfax, finally starting a school, owning land and businesses and becoming full-fledged citizens, as they were meant to be. <p> Tademy tells part of our history that we would like to forget; she also tells the story of her family, which is a story worth remembering. <I>--Valerie Ryan</I> 1358842 2006 Red River total:410|5:87|4:152|3:123|2:36|1:12| 410 1496 716 119 4 2 false false Wed Mar 04 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 23 16:39:59 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 04 15:59:17 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 13:31:04 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 13:57:42 -0800 2009 1 more...]]> 0 1 false false Sun Nov 09 20:34:03 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 20 15:01:07 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Oct 12 08:31:12 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 08:31:39 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 12 11:08:28 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 12 11:10:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 06:40:57 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 06:49:20 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Sep 07 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Mar 14 15:33:55 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 14 15:35:11 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 3 0 false true Thu Feb 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 21:37:17 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 15 00:09:09 -0800 2009 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jan 25 11:22:14 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 11:22:33 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 19 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 15 08:03:18 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 09:13:09 -0800 2009
This book should be required reading for every high school freshman in America.

I don't want to spoil anything for other readers so I will onl...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jan 25 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 16:10:18 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 16:13:55 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Sep 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 28 09:50:45 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 03 07:12:28 -0700 2009
Wow, I just finished this on the way in to work. In fact, I stayed in the car a few minutes to hear the finish. What an incredible book. You must have a s...more...]]> 5 2 false false Tue Oct 28 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 18 08:13:17 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 28 20:52:21 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Sep 01 11:51:43 -0700 2008 Mon Sep 01 11:51:51 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 13 07:58:39 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 15 06:14:19 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Nov 11 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Oct 28 13:24:50 -0700 2009 Wed Nov 11 15:30:15 -0800 2009 1st it was interesting to read as a historical novel of life in the south during reconstruction time. I have always thought history lessons were too barren about the details of life during this time period after the civil war.
2nd what a treasur...more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Mar 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 26 18:11:27 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 26 18:17:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 26 15:45:34 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 15:50:41 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 18:19:15 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 18:21:21 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Apr 07 17:24:33 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 17:27:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=13766