Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Song of Slaves in the Desert: A Novel of Slavery and the Southern Wild
by
Alan Cheuse
"The Legacy of Slavery
The Loyalty of Family
The Lure of Love"
He has no history in the rice fields, no background in being a master. Plantations are as foreign to him as the African plain that birthed the slaves his uncle owns. Surely, though, he knows his own heart. She has no say in his decisions, his day, his life. She doesn't even have a say in her own. But when Nathan...more
The Loyalty of Family
The Lure of Love"
He has no history in the rice fields, no background in being a master. Plantations are as foreign to him as the African plain that birthed the slaves his uncle owns. Surely, though, he knows his own heart. She has no say in his decisions, his day, his life. She doesn't even have a say in her own. But when Nathan...more
Hardcover, 500 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Sourcebooks Landmark
(first published February 8th 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
222)
I thought this was a good book. It was four stories that created one story of a families struggle through slavery. On one side you learn about the plight of the slave woman, her cross to bear, to have children not born from love but from slavery and rape, to yearn for freedom and hope for and the stories of other slaves that these women interacted with. Then you have the story of the slave owners family, unlike most southern families these owners are Jews, themselves persecuted and enslaved now...more
This is one of those books I wasn't sure if I would like, but couldn't put it down! All in all, I really did enjoy it, in spite of some of the changes I wish the author would have made. I felt the beginning was a bit disjointed, with a little too much information. In the beginning it was difficult for the reader to connect the very different stories together as part of one plot. As the story progressed, I found it easier to understand the true meaning of the first part of the book. The story was...more
I try to read as many books I can relating to slavery. This one was unique because the owners are Jewish and their family understands what it is like to be persecuted. This was a slow read that I never could get into. Lots of filler, descriptions, characters thoughts. If some of this had been weeded out the book would have been faster paced.
It was told from four points of view, both master and slave, but none of the characters really came alive for me. There wasn't much plot either. It reminded...more
It was told from four points of view, both master and slave, but none of the characters really came alive for me. There wasn't much plot either. It reminded...more
Ok novel-- interesting basis for a story but I had a hard time getting interested in the part of the narrative based in Africa because the characters kept changing and perspective did not seem reliable or believable. The rest of the story I liked to an extent but I would be interested to learn more about the historical accuracy. The ending was enjoyable because it was a little unpredictable.
I had great hope for this book since it dealt with Jews, who were slaves in Egypt, owning slaves in the south. But, I found it a great disappointment. Almost sll of the characters seemed stereotypical and the plot was unrealistic. The moral dilemma of owning slaves was just mentioned in passing and never really explored in depth.
Did not care for this book, it was very confusing at first. Than just seemed to go on and on.
It wasn't one of those books I look forward to coming home from work and curling up and read.
It wasn't one of those books I look forward to coming home from work and curling up and read.
Two very interesting stories that combine about a family from Africa who is brought to Charleston in the slave trade, and a family from Holland who lives in New York. The New York family has a brother who lives in Charleston and who owns a plantation, and sends his son to check out if it is a good value. The story has great messages about freedom, love, and interpersonal relations.
I stopped reading this book after 350 (of 500) pages. It shows such despicable behavior...I just didn't have the stomach to keep reading. And there's something about it that did not ring true.
view all 5 comments
I finally gave up on this. It was well-written and I thought I'd find it interesting, but it just wasn't holding my attention. I really didn't care for the way it switched perspectives so often and it spent too much time on the slave owner instead of the slave.
I've got too many other more interesting things waiting for me right now. I might go back to it later, but I really doubt it.
I've got too many other more interesting things waiting for me right now. I might go back to it later, but I really doubt it.
Book club selection. No quotable quotes collected.
I just could not get into this book.
very long - interesting though
Jun 12, 2013
Kem
marked it as to-read
Jun 05, 2013
Courtney
marked it as elibrary
May 28, 2013
Greg
added it
May 01, 2013
Craig Stackpole
marked it as owned
Apr 17, 2013
Carolyn
marked it as to-read
Apr 08, 2013
Nick Sloan
added it
Apr 04, 2013
Monet
marked it as to-read
Apr 02, 2013
Cassie
marked it as to-read
Mar 29, 2013
Victoria
marked it as to-read
Mar 27, 2013
Donna
marked it as to-read
Mar 25, 2013
Semra Ergüden
is currently reading it
Mar 20, 2013
Melissa Jeter
marked it as to-read
Mar 16, 2013
Leigh Fortier lanzoni
marked it as to-read
Mar 12, 2013
Lexi
added it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
For more than two decades, Alan Cheuse has served as NPRs voice of books. He is the author of three novels, including The Grandmothers Club and The Light Possessed, several collections of short stories, and a pair of novellas recently published in The Fires. He is also the editor of Seeing Ourselves: Great Early American Short Stories and co-editor of Writers Workshop in a Book. Stories and co-edi...more
More about Alan Cheuse...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
