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A Sitting in St. James: An Epic YA Historical Novel of Slavery, Secrets, and Brutal Truths in Antebellum Louisiana
An unmissable tour de force from three-time National Book Award finalist and Coretta Scott King Award–winning author Rita Williams-Garcia, who memorably tells the stories of one white family and the enslaved people who work for them. Essential reading for teens and adults who are grappling with our country’s history of racism.
This astonishing novel about the interwoven lives of those bound to a plantation in antebellum America is an epic masterwork—empathetic, brutal, and entirely human.
1860, Louisiana. After serving as mistress of Le Petit Cottage for more than six decades, Madame Sylvie Guilbert has decided, in spite of her family’s indifference, to sit for a portrait.
But there are other important stories to be told on the Guilbert plantation. Stories that span generations, from the big house to out in the fields, of routine horrors, secrets buried as deep as the family fortune, and the tangled bonds of descendants and enslaved.
This astonishing novel about the interwoven lives of those bound to a plantation in antebellum America is an epic masterwork—empathetic, brutal, and entirely human.
1860, Louisiana. After serving as mistress of Le Petit Cottage for more than six decades, Madame Sylvie Guilbert has decided, in spite of her family’s indifference, to sit for a portrait.
But there are other important stories to be told on the Guilbert plantation. Stories that span generations, from the big house to out in the fields, of routine horrors, secrets buried as deep as the family fortune, and the tangled bonds of descendants and enslaved.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 2021
111 people are currently reading
6925 people want to read
About the author
Rita Williams-Garcia
38 books760 followers"I was born in Queens, N.Y, on April 13, 1957. My mother, Miss Essie, named me 'NoMo' immediately after my birth. Although I was her last child, I took my time making my appearance. I like to believe I was dreaming up a good story and wouldn’t budge until I was finished. Even now, my daughters call me 'Pokey Mom', because I slow poke around when they want to go-go-go.
"I learned to read early, and was aware of events going on as I grew up in the 60s. In the midst of real events, I daydreamed and wrote stories. Writing stories for young people is my passion and my mission. Teens will read. They hunger for stories that engage them and reflect their images and experiences."
Author of four award winning novels, Rita Williams-Garcia continues to break new ground in young people's literature. Known for their realistic portrayal of teens of color, Williams-Garcia's works have been recognized by the Coretta Scott King Award Committee, PEN Norma Klein, American Library Association, and Parents' Choice, among others. She recently served on the National Book Award Committee for Young People's Literature and is on faculty at Vermont College MFA Writing for Children and Young People.
"I learned to read early, and was aware of events going on as I grew up in the 60s. In the midst of real events, I daydreamed and wrote stories. Writing stories for young people is my passion and my mission. Teens will read. They hunger for stories that engage them and reflect their images and experiences."
Author of four award winning novels, Rita Williams-Garcia continues to break new ground in young people's literature. Known for their realistic portrayal of teens of color, Williams-Garcia's works have been recognized by the Coretta Scott King Award Committee, PEN Norma Klein, American Library Association, and Parents' Choice, among others. She recently served on the National Book Award Committee for Young People's Literature and is on faculty at Vermont College MFA Writing for Children and Young People.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
June 16, 2021
This is an incredible book. What a feat! Large cast of characters, rich historical setting, so many undercurrents relative to social, economic, racial dynamics. RWG truly takes a nuanced lens to a complex issue that isn’t as black-and-white as people like to believe. Race relations have always been complex and multilayered—both then and now—and this book explores those themes with clarity, insight, and masterful storytelling.
I found myself wondering: How will this story end? How will she be able to end this story satisfactorily, knowing the limitations faced by her characters? It was a joy watching her bring us there. The ending was perfect.
This is an ideal read for lovers of historical fiction.
I found myself wondering: How will this story end? How will she be able to end this story satisfactorily, knowing the limitations faced by her characters? It was a joy watching her bring us there. The ending was perfect.
This is an ideal read for lovers of historical fiction.
July 17, 2021
This is an adult book, not for children, teens, or YA. I would give it 4 stars for adults and 0 stars for teens, children, or YA. The story is set on a Louisiana plantation just prior to the Civil War. The lives of the white Guilbert family members and their enslaved "holdings" are intimately interwoven, with graphic revelations of the routine horrors of plantation life, including not only physical cruelty against Black slaves, but detailed sexual violence, rape, oral sex between a young boy and his adoptive father, sexual relations between two young cadets, and sexual abuse of a young Black girl at the hands of a white plantation owner. Nothing on the book cover or dust jacket intro warns of the extremely crude and disturbing sexual episodes described in stark detail.
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July 4, 2021This is a phenomenal historical read about a landowning white family, the mixed race children who do and do not get space in that family, the queer children who hide their truths because of family honor, and the enslaved people working for this family and the complex lives they live. It's claustrophobic in the best ways, as well as a challenging read that begs you to slow down and savor not just the story and characters, but every deliberate word choice and phrase in the prose.
Jane was probably my favorite character and even though she's there for serious, plot-necessary reasons, she's a relieving foil, bucking every "decency" and "tradition" upheld in this upper crust French Louisiana family. Marguerite had me enraptured from her first appearance on page, too, and I was so thrilled to see how her story unraveled.
Williams-Garcia's book will win big accolades this year and it should.
As always, I deeply encourage readers to spend time with the author's note on this one. There's so much fascinating history to learn here, particularly about Creole as an identity and culture. Williams-Garcia explains the three moments that sealed this book in her head and how she broke her promise to herself not to write a Black YA book about the Civil War era . . . and how even though this book is that, it's also not that at all.
Jane was probably my favorite character and even though she's there for serious, plot-necessary reasons, she's a relieving foil, bucking every "decency" and "tradition" upheld in this upper crust French Louisiana family. Marguerite had me enraptured from her first appearance on page, too, and I was so thrilled to see how her story unraveled.
Williams-Garcia's book will win big accolades this year and it should.
As always, I deeply encourage readers to spend time with the author's note on this one. There's so much fascinating history to learn here, particularly about Creole as an identity and culture. Williams-Garcia explains the three moments that sealed this book in her head and how she broke her promise to herself not to write a Black YA book about the Civil War era . . . and how even though this book is that, it's also not that at all.
December 22, 2021
I am at a loss how to describe this book. I picked it up totally randomly, thinking it is YA. It really isn’t.
Yet Rita Williams-Garcia has crafted a masterpiece. This isn’t a book on slavery as much as it is a deep exploration of the way of life then. I don’t know how to describe this book, really. I am kind of repeating myself here. It’s incredibly complex, moving, filled with some of the most outlandish characters I have ever read, often bizarre, yet at all times scathing. A keeper this one.
Yet Rita Williams-Garcia has crafted a masterpiece. This isn’t a book on slavery as much as it is a deep exploration of the way of life then. I don’t know how to describe this book, really. I am kind of repeating myself here. It’s incredibly complex, moving, filled with some of the most outlandish characters I have ever read, often bizarre, yet at all times scathing. A keeper this one.
January 4, 2021
Equal parts history and tantalizing hysteria, Williams-Garcia has delivered a novice and nuanced approach to the tale of American slavery asking white folks: “Who were you without enslaved people and slavery? What [emphasis added] are you without racism?” (p. 452)
December 24, 2020
Richie’s Picks: A SITTING IN ST. JAMES by Rita Williams-Garcia, HarperCollins/Quill Tree, May 2021, 480p., ISBN: 978-0-06-236729-7
“It was Byron Guilbert whose steps in life mattered. In spite of his innermost conflicts, Byron would do what was expected of him. He would marry Eugénie Duhon and assume management of Le Petit Cottage so his father could drink bourbon, gamble at racetracks, and read the old poets. Byron would produce heirs, preferably two, as neither his father nor grandfather had much luck in producing white heirs. In time, he would hand off the plantation to the next legal son, or daughter’s husband if it came to that. He found the idea of producing legal heirs amusing. A legal heir, maybe two, would be all that he could muster, as he didn’t share his father’s or grandfather’s lust for Black women or for women of any color, for that matter.”
A SITTING IN ST. JAMES is an expansive, breathtaking, masterwork of historical fiction that cuts to the quick. It’s set on a down-on-its-heels plantation outside New Orleans in 1860, the year before the Civil War began. An 80-year-old matriarch, Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier Guilbert, originally from France, and her ne'er-do-well son, Lucien Guilbert--a truly despicable human being--are in charge.
This page turner is a story that shows how the white slave owner class did not see slaves as human beings. A slave was an asset to be used or abused as the owners chose. This is epitomized in a stunning passage involving the Guilbert’s slave cook, Lily. She was acquired years earlier as a young person, when Lucien Guilbert took her as payment after a successful card game with his fellow plantation owners. Lily has since matured into a large, powerful woman.
“Guilbert and Pierpont often traveled by barge and traded machinery, and rented each other’s bulls, stallions, and hogs for stud purposes. They could also conduct a profitable husbandry between their two-legged livestock.
Lily wasn’t privy to their gentlemen’s agreement, but the master had planned some entertainment and a long-term capital investment for himself and Arne Pierpont, master of the Pierpont Plantation. When he had the overseer gather Lily up one Saturday night, Hannah feared it was to deliver her to a new home, a new plantation. She thought she had seen her queen, her adopted granddaughter for the last time. Hannah didn’t know Lily would be going down the road and on a barge across the river to Pierpont’s plantation.
Lily got up on the wagon and hugged her belly.
Lucien had brought two bottles of his best bourbon from his reserve to share with Pierpont. He was excited to deliver the big girl.
Arne Pierpont was astounded when he saw the girl. Astonished that for a change, Lucien Guilbert hadn’t exaggerated the girl’s magnificence. Why, she could be rented to a traveling show or circus and make good money, as gawkers wouldn’t be able to look away from her unusually large parts. Pierpont turned and patted the backside of his chosen man, impressively tall and broad, of about twenty, and gave him a few words of encouragement. Master Guilbert was immediately taken by the young Black man’s size. Both men congratulated each other on the size and overall health of the couple. They further congratulated each other on their anticipated profits and agreed to meet ten months from the date to pair the two for the next litter. The gentlemen smoked their cigars, drank bourbon, and shouted instructions, mainly at the young man to ‘Go at her again.’
When the husbandry was finished, Lily was told to stay on her back with her legs up to keep the investors’ seed intact. There was much drunken jubilation between the two planters. They marveled, cackled, poked, and slapped at her as she lay on her back, legs up. When they decided that their investment had been firmly planted in ground, the drunken men, with the help of Pierpont’s man, pushed the girl up and onto the wagon. The gentlemen tipped their hats to each other, and then Lucien and the girl, Lily, were on their way.”
Award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia, a descendent of slaves, steeped herself in historical research in order to paint a painstakingly accurate picture of life on a fictional plantation.
A SITTING IN ST. JAMES is written for young adults. Once the time, setting, and family history have been laid out, the story centers on the interactions of a half-dozen well-drawn adolescent characters who come together at the Guilbert plantation in the summer of 1860:
Byron Guilbert is the sole heir to the plantation and to an estate in France that had belonged to Sylvie’s parents. Byron attends West Point and is gay.
Robinson Pearce also attends West Point and is Byron’s secret lover. He ferries down the Mississippi to visit Byron for the latter portion of the summer, before they are due to return to the military academy.
Eugénie Duhon, the daughter of another plantation owner, is Byron’s seventeen year-old fiancée.
Jane Chatham is the unconventional, horse-loving daughter of Sylvie’s longtime friend. This untamed redhead comes to board with the Guilberts this summer when her widowed mother sells their plantation and emigrates to Europe.
Thisbe is an adolescent slave and Sylvie's personal servant. Her principal duties include dressing and bathing Sylvie, wiping her bottom, serving as Sylvie’s snoop, and doing the kneeling when Sylvie recites a rosary.
Rosalie is Byron’s paternal teen sister. Her enslaved mother is owned by the Guilberts. But she's the spitting image of her grandmother Sylvie. Rosalie has spent years boarding at a convent, where she has been well-educated and has learned to tailor clothing at a professional level. Although Rosalie is despised by Sylvie, Lucien nevertheless retrieves his nearly-white-looking daughter this summer, with the hope of marrying her off to the brilliant and free, mixed-race son of a well-off plantation owner.
This is a thoroughly-engaging YA tale set in a stunning historical novel. I just can't stop thinking about these six teens. A year from now, you’ll see this book listed on any number of “best of” lists.
A knee on the neck. 8 minutes and 46 seconds. How could those cops so easily murder George Floyd? This is the right book at the right time. If I were an enlightened parent or a high school American history teacher, I’d have my kids read A SITTING IN ST. JAMES. Rita Williams-Garcia exposes that society of slave owners in a way that any teen or adult will better understand the deep, ugly roots that underlie the callous disregard for Black lives that still exists in America today.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“It was Byron Guilbert whose steps in life mattered. In spite of his innermost conflicts, Byron would do what was expected of him. He would marry Eugénie Duhon and assume management of Le Petit Cottage so his father could drink bourbon, gamble at racetracks, and read the old poets. Byron would produce heirs, preferably two, as neither his father nor grandfather had much luck in producing white heirs. In time, he would hand off the plantation to the next legal son, or daughter’s husband if it came to that. He found the idea of producing legal heirs amusing. A legal heir, maybe two, would be all that he could muster, as he didn’t share his father’s or grandfather’s lust for Black women or for women of any color, for that matter.”
A SITTING IN ST. JAMES is an expansive, breathtaking, masterwork of historical fiction that cuts to the quick. It’s set on a down-on-its-heels plantation outside New Orleans in 1860, the year before the Civil War began. An 80-year-old matriarch, Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier Guilbert, originally from France, and her ne'er-do-well son, Lucien Guilbert--a truly despicable human being--are in charge.
This page turner is a story that shows how the white slave owner class did not see slaves as human beings. A slave was an asset to be used or abused as the owners chose. This is epitomized in a stunning passage involving the Guilbert’s slave cook, Lily. She was acquired years earlier as a young person, when Lucien Guilbert took her as payment after a successful card game with his fellow plantation owners. Lily has since matured into a large, powerful woman.
“Guilbert and Pierpont often traveled by barge and traded machinery, and rented each other’s bulls, stallions, and hogs for stud purposes. They could also conduct a profitable husbandry between their two-legged livestock.
Lily wasn’t privy to their gentlemen’s agreement, but the master had planned some entertainment and a long-term capital investment for himself and Arne Pierpont, master of the Pierpont Plantation. When he had the overseer gather Lily up one Saturday night, Hannah feared it was to deliver her to a new home, a new plantation. She thought she had seen her queen, her adopted granddaughter for the last time. Hannah didn’t know Lily would be going down the road and on a barge across the river to Pierpont’s plantation.
Lily got up on the wagon and hugged her belly.
Lucien had brought two bottles of his best bourbon from his reserve to share with Pierpont. He was excited to deliver the big girl.
Arne Pierpont was astounded when he saw the girl. Astonished that for a change, Lucien Guilbert hadn’t exaggerated the girl’s magnificence. Why, she could be rented to a traveling show or circus and make good money, as gawkers wouldn’t be able to look away from her unusually large parts. Pierpont turned and patted the backside of his chosen man, impressively tall and broad, of about twenty, and gave him a few words of encouragement. Master Guilbert was immediately taken by the young Black man’s size. Both men congratulated each other on the size and overall health of the couple. They further congratulated each other on their anticipated profits and agreed to meet ten months from the date to pair the two for the next litter. The gentlemen smoked their cigars, drank bourbon, and shouted instructions, mainly at the young man to ‘Go at her again.’
When the husbandry was finished, Lily was told to stay on her back with her legs up to keep the investors’ seed intact. There was much drunken jubilation between the two planters. They marveled, cackled, poked, and slapped at her as she lay on her back, legs up. When they decided that their investment had been firmly planted in ground, the drunken men, with the help of Pierpont’s man, pushed the girl up and onto the wagon. The gentlemen tipped their hats to each other, and then Lucien and the girl, Lily, were on their way.”
Award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia, a descendent of slaves, steeped herself in historical research in order to paint a painstakingly accurate picture of life on a fictional plantation.
A SITTING IN ST. JAMES is written for young adults. Once the time, setting, and family history have been laid out, the story centers on the interactions of a half-dozen well-drawn adolescent characters who come together at the Guilbert plantation in the summer of 1860:
Byron Guilbert is the sole heir to the plantation and to an estate in France that had belonged to Sylvie’s parents. Byron attends West Point and is gay.
Robinson Pearce also attends West Point and is Byron’s secret lover. He ferries down the Mississippi to visit Byron for the latter portion of the summer, before they are due to return to the military academy.
Eugénie Duhon, the daughter of another plantation owner, is Byron’s seventeen year-old fiancée.
Jane Chatham is the unconventional, horse-loving daughter of Sylvie’s longtime friend. This untamed redhead comes to board with the Guilberts this summer when her widowed mother sells their plantation and emigrates to Europe.
Thisbe is an adolescent slave and Sylvie's personal servant. Her principal duties include dressing and bathing Sylvie, wiping her bottom, serving as Sylvie’s snoop, and doing the kneeling when Sylvie recites a rosary.
Rosalie is Byron’s paternal teen sister. Her enslaved mother is owned by the Guilberts. But she's the spitting image of her grandmother Sylvie. Rosalie has spent years boarding at a convent, where she has been well-educated and has learned to tailor clothing at a professional level. Although Rosalie is despised by Sylvie, Lucien nevertheless retrieves his nearly-white-looking daughter this summer, with the hope of marrying her off to the brilliant and free, mixed-race son of a well-off plantation owner.
This is a thoroughly-engaging YA tale set in a stunning historical novel. I just can't stop thinking about these six teens. A year from now, you’ll see this book listed on any number of “best of” lists.
A knee on the neck. 8 minutes and 46 seconds. How could those cops so easily murder George Floyd? This is the right book at the right time. If I were an enlightened parent or a high school American history teacher, I’d have my kids read A SITTING IN ST. JAMES. Rita Williams-Garcia exposes that society of slave owners in a way that any teen or adult will better understand the deep, ugly roots that underlie the callous disregard for Black lives that still exists in America today.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
July 10, 2021
Along with One Crazy Summer, I think this might be Williams-Garcia's best. So why not 5*? I usually delude myself into thinking I don't judge MG/YA books differently than adult books. But I do. If this were YA, I'd probably give it 5*. But for much of this, it wasn't clear to me what made this a YA book rather than an adult book, except for who the author is. And in a bigger playing field, I don't know that I could hand this to a reader of adult books and say this is a 5* book. If forced to offer more weak justification, I'd say the very end of this grand sprawling novel is a little rushed with all the multiple plot lines resolving in a single night (and really in a single overheard sentence.)
July 14, 2022
4.5/5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This review describes my thoughts perfectly. The graphic scenes aren’t gratuitous but make sure to read trigger warnings before reading.
Had a diverse cast of characters, which I loved. Horrors throughout, but a mostly happy ending (for some of the characters) in the end. The writing is beautiful and wholly shapes the generational saga that unfolds.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This review describes my thoughts perfectly. The graphic scenes aren’t gratuitous but make sure to read trigger warnings before reading.
Had a diverse cast of characters, which I loved. Horrors throughout, but a mostly happy ending (for some of the characters) in the end. The writing is beautiful and wholly shapes the generational saga that unfolds.
June 15, 2021
Rita William-Garcia begins her epic story by giving a brief history of the land and people in what would later become the boot of Louisiana as a way to usher readers into the main part of her story, and ultimately situate them in the summer of 1860 in St. James parish on the ironically named Le Petit Cottage, home of the Guibert family and the people they enslaved.
The family is headed by its French-born matriarch Madame Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier Guilbert, who never tires of telling people about her connection to Queen Marie Antoinette and the Bernardin de Maret vineyard owned by her family. Madame Sylvie taken from France by a middle age man who forced her to marry him at the age of 13. And before you go feeling sorry for her, know this - Madame Sylvie is so enamored of Marie Antoinette, she named her personal servant, the enslaved Thisbe, a girl taken from her family at age 6 to serve Madame only, after the Queen's dog,
Le Petit Cottage has been run by Madame Sylvie's son, the poetry loving, syphilitic Lucien while her grandson, Bryon, 20, is attending West Point. The plantation is losing money and could soon be in the hands of creditors as Lucien waits for his mother to give him the stash of gold she had buried long ago and which she holds over his head. Bryon is engaged to be married, but he prefers the company of men, specifically his fellow cadet Robinson Pearce. Lucien is also hoping to make a good (and profitable) marriage for his daughter Rosalie, his beautiful, educated "quadroon" daughter. Her mother is an enslaved woman that Lucien raped during one of his visits to the slave quarters where he would often go for that purpose.
After learning that Lucille Pierpont "had her portrait painted and hosted a much-talked-about showing at the Pierpont plantation," Madame Sylvie, now 80, has decided this is something she must also have done, even though the Guilberts can't afford it. And after finding out that a portrait of Bryon's finance's father had been commissioned as a gift to his daughter, Madame is even more determined, and almost beside herself when she learns that the painter was Claude le Brun, a descendant of Madame Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun who had painted a portrait of Sylvie and the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when they were children.
Into this cast of the major white characters comes Eugénie Duhon, Bryon's fiancee, and Jane Chatham, the 15-year-old abandoned daughter of plantation owners who only wants to ride her warhorse, Virginia Wilder, and of course, Bryon's lover Robinson, visiting for a few weeks before they return to West Point.
I kept asking myself why would Rita Williams-Garcia write a story set in the antebellum south from the point of view of white characters. After all, that makes it sound almost like you are going to read an updated version of Gone with the Wind, doesn't it? But that couldn't be further from what Williams-Garcia has actually done here. Because it is through this very flawed, very cruel, entitled family that Williams;Garcia has captured the true horror of the institution of slavery. All the while that Williams-Garcia records the ups and downs of the Guilbert family, standing in the background, quiet, invisible, abused to their white owners are the enslaved Blacks, some of whom we do get to know well.
Had Williams-Garcia focused on only one enslaved character, for example Thisbe, readers wouldn't see how they are all treated and abused. By focusing on this family of enslavers, readers will "witness a brutal period in its benign and overt cruelty, to better understand its legacy of privilege and racism" and how it manifested itself on the people this family considered to be nothing more than property.
I won't kid you - this is not an easy book to read, and yet one that I found hard to put down. There are moments in it when you will pump your arm and say "yes," moments when you will reach for a tissue to wipe away your tears, and moments when you will want to turn away from what you are reading. All I can say is keep reading. This is too important a book to ignore. That said, you may be surprised to discover who the real hero of this story is. And then you will think about it, and you won't be surprised at all.
This book is recommended for readers age 16+
The family is headed by its French-born matriarch Madame Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier Guilbert, who never tires of telling people about her connection to Queen Marie Antoinette and the Bernardin de Maret vineyard owned by her family. Madame Sylvie taken from France by a middle age man who forced her to marry him at the age of 13. And before you go feeling sorry for her, know this - Madame Sylvie is so enamored of Marie Antoinette, she named her personal servant, the enslaved Thisbe, a girl taken from her family at age 6 to serve Madame only, after the Queen's dog,
Le Petit Cottage has been run by Madame Sylvie's son, the poetry loving, syphilitic Lucien while her grandson, Bryon, 20, is attending West Point. The plantation is losing money and could soon be in the hands of creditors as Lucien waits for his mother to give him the stash of gold she had buried long ago and which she holds over his head. Bryon is engaged to be married, but he prefers the company of men, specifically his fellow cadet Robinson Pearce. Lucien is also hoping to make a good (and profitable) marriage for his daughter Rosalie, his beautiful, educated "quadroon" daughter. Her mother is an enslaved woman that Lucien raped during one of his visits to the slave quarters where he would often go for that purpose.
After learning that Lucille Pierpont "had her portrait painted and hosted a much-talked-about showing at the Pierpont plantation," Madame Sylvie, now 80, has decided this is something she must also have done, even though the Guilberts can't afford it. And after finding out that a portrait of Bryon's finance's father had been commissioned as a gift to his daughter, Madame is even more determined, and almost beside herself when she learns that the painter was Claude le Brun, a descendant of Madame Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun who had painted a portrait of Sylvie and the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when they were children.
Into this cast of the major white characters comes Eugénie Duhon, Bryon's fiancee, and Jane Chatham, the 15-year-old abandoned daughter of plantation owners who only wants to ride her warhorse, Virginia Wilder, and of course, Bryon's lover Robinson, visiting for a few weeks before they return to West Point.
I kept asking myself why would Rita Williams-Garcia write a story set in the antebellum south from the point of view of white characters. After all, that makes it sound almost like you are going to read an updated version of Gone with the Wind, doesn't it? But that couldn't be further from what Williams-Garcia has actually done here. Because it is through this very flawed, very cruel, entitled family that Williams;Garcia has captured the true horror of the institution of slavery. All the while that Williams-Garcia records the ups and downs of the Guilbert family, standing in the background, quiet, invisible, abused to their white owners are the enslaved Blacks, some of whom we do get to know well.
Had Williams-Garcia focused on only one enslaved character, for example Thisbe, readers wouldn't see how they are all treated and abused. By focusing on this family of enslavers, readers will "witness a brutal period in its benign and overt cruelty, to better understand its legacy of privilege and racism" and how it manifested itself on the people this family considered to be nothing more than property.
I won't kid you - this is not an easy book to read, and yet one that I found hard to put down. There are moments in it when you will pump your arm and say "yes," moments when you will reach for a tissue to wipe away your tears, and moments when you will want to turn away from what you are reading. All I can say is keep reading. This is too important a book to ignore. That said, you may be surprised to discover who the real hero of this story is. And then you will think about it, and you won't be surprised at all.
This book is recommended for readers age 16+
May 18, 2021
The topic of racism has always been explored in literature. In A Sitting in St. James, Rita Williams-Garcia dives deeper into where the root of racism began by creating a story centered around life on a plantation in the 1860s.
In her author note, Williams-Garcia tells a story of how she was on a panel where a boy asked the question, “why do they hate us?” — meaning why do white people hate Black people? Williams-Garcia then replied to his question with, “when they see us, they don’t see human beings”. This conversation was what prompted Williams-Garcia to explore the beginning of racism and to tell a story about slavery.
Williams-Garcia also goes on to tell the reader why she wanted this story to be centered around a white family. She says the Black characters can’t speak on the reasons why slavery was seen as a necessity because they didn’t create their enslavement. So she turned to the other characters who lived on this plantation. The matriarch, her son, and her grandson.
Le Petite Cottage is a struggling plantation with dark secrets. Madame Sylvie Guilbert is an 80-year-old matriarch who feels like the world owes her for the harsh life that she’s lived. She’s the product of the French royal court following the aftermath of the French Revolution. She wasn’t given many choices as to where her life would lead next so she got married at a young age to a plantation owner. She’s held on to the privilege and entitlement she had as a child and this plays a major role in who she is now.
Lucien Guilbert is the son of Madame Sylvie Guilbert and he spends most of his time desperately trying to save the plantation from all of its debt. His son, Byron, is a West Point cadet who is the heir of Le Petite Cottage. This family has ugly and painful pasts that were hard to read about at times.
This book honestly took me a while to get through because the lives this family lived were horrific. They are all painted as villains and monsters yet we see a glimpse of what makes them human, too. Williams-Garcia is an astounding author. I felt so many emotions while reading this story and I’m left pondering it days after I finished. She poured so much of her heart into answering that young boy’s question of “why do they hate us?” The research and history of telling this story right are prominent in each word she wrote.
The Guilbert family saw Black people as property and a “thing” they were owed.
The most prominent relationship in this story was between Madame Sylvie Guilbert and her servant, Thisbe. The matriarch took her from her family as a “gift” to herself. She quickly named Thisbe after Marie Antoinette’s prized pet dog. Thisbe was meant to be an extension of her body. Their relationship showcased how Madame Sylvie Guilbert saw Thisbe as non-human. She was her “pet” and would even call to Thisbe as one.
There are many more aspects of this book that I could talk about but I think I’ll leave the rest for the reader to discover on their own. It’s truly a mesmerizing story and an important one. A Sitting in St. James is sure to be spoken about years from now and hopefully recommended to all readers who wish to understand the root of racism better.
The target audience for this book is ages 15 and older. I would definitely recommend it to readers of that age because there are a lot of triggering topics discussed such as abuse, murder, and rape.
| review originally posted on Bookstacked |
In her author note, Williams-Garcia tells a story of how she was on a panel where a boy asked the question, “why do they hate us?” — meaning why do white people hate Black people? Williams-Garcia then replied to his question with, “when they see us, they don’t see human beings”. This conversation was what prompted Williams-Garcia to explore the beginning of racism and to tell a story about slavery.
Williams-Garcia also goes on to tell the reader why she wanted this story to be centered around a white family. She says the Black characters can’t speak on the reasons why slavery was seen as a necessity because they didn’t create their enslavement. So she turned to the other characters who lived on this plantation. The matriarch, her son, and her grandson.
Le Petite Cottage is a struggling plantation with dark secrets. Madame Sylvie Guilbert is an 80-year-old matriarch who feels like the world owes her for the harsh life that she’s lived. She’s the product of the French royal court following the aftermath of the French Revolution. She wasn’t given many choices as to where her life would lead next so she got married at a young age to a plantation owner. She’s held on to the privilege and entitlement she had as a child and this plays a major role in who she is now.
Lucien Guilbert is the son of Madame Sylvie Guilbert and he spends most of his time desperately trying to save the plantation from all of its debt. His son, Byron, is a West Point cadet who is the heir of Le Petite Cottage. This family has ugly and painful pasts that were hard to read about at times.
This book honestly took me a while to get through because the lives this family lived were horrific. They are all painted as villains and monsters yet we see a glimpse of what makes them human, too. Williams-Garcia is an astounding author. I felt so many emotions while reading this story and I’m left pondering it days after I finished. She poured so much of her heart into answering that young boy’s question of “why do they hate us?” The research and history of telling this story right are prominent in each word she wrote.
The Guilbert family saw Black people as property and a “thing” they were owed.
The most prominent relationship in this story was between Madame Sylvie Guilbert and her servant, Thisbe. The matriarch took her from her family as a “gift” to herself. She quickly named Thisbe after Marie Antoinette’s prized pet dog. Thisbe was meant to be an extension of her body. Their relationship showcased how Madame Sylvie Guilbert saw Thisbe as non-human. She was her “pet” and would even call to Thisbe as one.
There are many more aspects of this book that I could talk about but I think I’ll leave the rest for the reader to discover on their own. It’s truly a mesmerizing story and an important one. A Sitting in St. James is sure to be spoken about years from now and hopefully recommended to all readers who wish to understand the root of racism better.
The target audience for this book is ages 15 and older. I would definitely recommend it to readers of that age because there are a lot of triggering topics discussed such as abuse, murder, and rape.
| review originally posted on Bookstacked |
May 5, 2023
Short version: Excellent writing, compelling characters, and a unique plot make this a must read, one of the best books of 2021 so far.
Long version: This book is so rich and complex, encompassing so many stories within the larger tale. Madame Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier Guilbert is the matriarch of an antebellum Louisiana plantation. Upon hearing of a portrait artist from her native France working in the area, she is determined to sit for a portrait, setting off a string of unintended consequences. Highlighting the myriad complicated relationships that existed between the big house and the quarters, and even among the family members themselves, Williams-Garcia does not shy away from the brutal treatment of enslaved people. The exhaustive research in this book is evident even without the author's note and bibliographic note, which both provide some background information on the writing of this book.
Highly recommend for grades 9 and up.
Long version: This book is so rich and complex, encompassing so many stories within the larger tale. Madame Sylvie Bernardin de Maret Dacier Guilbert is the matriarch of an antebellum Louisiana plantation. Upon hearing of a portrait artist from her native France working in the area, she is determined to sit for a portrait, setting off a string of unintended consequences. Highlighting the myriad complicated relationships that existed between the big house and the quarters, and even among the family members themselves, Williams-Garcia does not shy away from the brutal treatment of enslaved people. The exhaustive research in this book is evident even without the author's note and bibliographic note, which both provide some background information on the writing of this book.
Highly recommend for grades 9 and up.
August 7, 2021
Epic. It's as sweeping as a classic like Gone with the Wind as deeply introspective on race and class as Out of Darkness, a multigenerational reckoning like Homegoing, and uniquely her own because Williams-Garcia is phenomenal in her storytelling. She has created a focused, interwoven plot with characters of various motivations with the significant elements taking place in St. James Parish, Louisiana using the history of French Creoles to tell the lesser-known stories of race, class, sexuality, propriety, power, and family.
While readers of YA and middle grade know Williams-Garcia's amazing stories and think this is historical fiction for YA, I'm here to say that it's written for an adult audience but there is absolutely a segment of teens who read YA who could dive into the complexities that Williams-Garcia intricately threads. This book is like The Fountains of Silence and Lovely War-- it's a niche historical fiction teen reader. But there are layers that would benefit a teen reader including visibility for queer readers from the perspective of history because of Byron and Pearce's relationship. Likewise, Jane's character was as entertaining as it was instructive that not all women fit in a box-- she certainly didn't.
There were times I admit to needing to read through parts that were confusing especially with the number of characters that were introduced and their relationships but it all worked itself out (often) painfully in how they were connected. And there was just something about Madame Sylvie that pained me and her longing and life were eloquently done by Williams-Garcia. The true author's craft to allow readers inside her life and say "how dare she?" but also "how sad for her".
And as the book came full circle, I can confidently say: well played, Williams-Garcia, well-played.
I was most enamored with Jane and Thisbe's character and story arcs. They provided so much depth and richness.
"'Is she named for anyone? Your horse?' Eugenie asked. 'Yes,' Janes said. 'She is named for herself.'"
"'Madame Guilbert, pardon me, but what lesson was that?' Madame made a sound of mock exasperation. 'What lesson? What lesson? Monsieur Le Brun! I learned that art of defense, dignity, and how to laugh through it all. I have seen how enemies tried to slander and destroy the queen. Yes she maintained her dignity, stepping over insults that should not dare to touch her feet. Did she weep, kick, faint, or curse at the guillotine? No! The queen bore the suffering, the jeering, the humiliation, with such dignity. Simplicity...'"
"When this is over, Mother, I won't forget who you are."
While readers of YA and middle grade know Williams-Garcia's amazing stories and think this is historical fiction for YA, I'm here to say that it's written for an adult audience but there is absolutely a segment of teens who read YA who could dive into the complexities that Williams-Garcia intricately threads. This book is like The Fountains of Silence and Lovely War-- it's a niche historical fiction teen reader. But there are layers that would benefit a teen reader including visibility for queer readers from the perspective of history because of Byron and Pearce's relationship. Likewise, Jane's character was as entertaining as it was instructive that not all women fit in a box-- she certainly didn't.
There were times I admit to needing to read through parts that were confusing especially with the number of characters that were introduced and their relationships but it all worked itself out (often) painfully in how they were connected. And there was just something about Madame Sylvie that pained me and her longing and life were eloquently done by Williams-Garcia. The true author's craft to allow readers inside her life and say "how dare she?" but also "how sad for her".
And as the book came full circle, I can confidently say: well played, Williams-Garcia, well-played.
I was most enamored with Jane and Thisbe's character and story arcs. They provided so much depth and richness.
"'Is she named for anyone? Your horse?' Eugenie asked. 'Yes,' Janes said. 'She is named for herself.'"
"'Madame Guilbert, pardon me, but what lesson was that?' Madame made a sound of mock exasperation. 'What lesson? What lesson? Monsieur Le Brun! I learned that art of defense, dignity, and how to laugh through it all. I have seen how enemies tried to slander and destroy the queen. Yes she maintained her dignity, stepping over insults that should not dare to touch her feet. Did she weep, kick, faint, or curse at the guillotine? No! The queen bore the suffering, the jeering, the humiliation, with such dignity. Simplicity...'"
"When this is over, Mother, I won't forget who you are."
July 28, 2021
Definitely a dnf for me. I made it through the first two books of this one--barely. And it's the bare in barely that is getting me. This one is SO explicit and graphic. And not in a two consenting adults way. Emphasis on consenting and adults.
These days trigger warnings are commonplace--or maybe I just spend a little too much time on social media and YouTube. If a post-it note flagged every place a trigger warning was needed--for violence (like murder, beatings), for sexual assault (rape, rape of CHILDREN, inappropriate behaviors and actions with CHILDREN), then this book would use a whole pad. And it's being marketed as a book great for teens.
If adults want to read about adults assaulting children--then okay, market it as being for adults. But don't say this is a book for teens and young adults. Don't pat it on the back and say HOORAY let's read about some dark, bleak things that may have happened sometimes in the past sometimes.
Perhaps all the sexually graphic content just happened in book two within four or five chapters. Maybe the rest of the book completely and totally redeems the mess that came before.
I haven't met all six teens that star in this book--though most have at least been mentioned. Maybe some characters aren't horrible, despicable, disgusting human beings. (And not all characters are despicable because they are rapists or sexually immoral. Maybe they're despicable because they are racist or sexist or whatever.)
I rarely DNF a book. In fact, I had to create a shelf for DNF for this one book. I usually push through a book once I've invested a 100+ pages. I do. I'm stubborn. I'm committed. Even when I know a book isn't for me, I try my best to push through and finish so that I can say I FINISHED. (Sometimes I do stop a book a few chapters in and say, this isn't for me. I'm going to move on.)
Perhaps some readers are more sensitive and bothered than others. Reading all the glowing five stars reviews, I do wonder if we did read the same book. The reviews don't mention the rape/assault of children...or the explicit nature of the sexual content. (Again I'm not going to target the encounters that are between consenting adults.)
Disturbing scenes that enter the mind can haunt it. And these scenes are HAUNTING as you can get.
These days trigger warnings are commonplace--or maybe I just spend a little too much time on social media and YouTube. If a post-it note flagged every place a trigger warning was needed--for violence (like murder, beatings), for sexual assault (rape, rape of CHILDREN, inappropriate behaviors and actions with CHILDREN), then this book would use a whole pad. And it's being marketed as a book great for teens.
If adults want to read about adults assaulting children--then okay, market it as being for adults. But don't say this is a book for teens and young adults. Don't pat it on the back and say HOORAY let's read about some dark, bleak things that may have happened sometimes in the past sometimes.
Perhaps all the sexually graphic content just happened in book two within four or five chapters. Maybe the rest of the book completely and totally redeems the mess that came before.
I haven't met all six teens that star in this book--though most have at least been mentioned. Maybe some characters aren't horrible, despicable, disgusting human beings. (And not all characters are despicable because they are rapists or sexually immoral. Maybe they're despicable because they are racist or sexist or whatever.)
I rarely DNF a book. In fact, I had to create a shelf for DNF for this one book. I usually push through a book once I've invested a 100+ pages. I do. I'm stubborn. I'm committed. Even when I know a book isn't for me, I try my best to push through and finish so that I can say I FINISHED. (Sometimes I do stop a book a few chapters in and say, this isn't for me. I'm going to move on.)
Perhaps some readers are more sensitive and bothered than others. Reading all the glowing five stars reviews, I do wonder if we did read the same book. The reviews don't mention the rape/assault of children...or the explicit nature of the sexual content. (Again I'm not going to target the encounters that are between consenting adults.)
Disturbing scenes that enter the mind can haunt it. And these scenes are HAUNTING as you can get.
July 19, 2021
I’m conflicted about this book. I wanted to like it much more than I actually did. I did appreciate Thisbe’s story and her ending was most satisfying, but there were lots of things I didn’t like, most notably Byron and his gay storyline. It seemed like the author felt like she just needed to include any gay storyline rather than it actually having something to do with furthering the story. I did enjoy the ongoing battle between Sylvie and Lucien. Lots to be enjoyed but I didn’t love it overall.
Also, it’s marketed as a YA book but I think it’s a bit mature for most YA readers. Lots of sex/assault/rape/abuse that’s a bit much
Also, it’s marketed as a YA book but I think it’s a bit mature for most YA readers. Lots of sex/assault/rape/abuse that’s a bit much
June 24, 2021
A Sitting in St James is an powerful piece of historical fiction set on a struggling sugar plantation in Louisiana before the Civil War. A compelling but sometimes heart-wrenching tale about the atrocities of American slavery and the abominable way in which they were treated. It centres around the lives of the Guilbert family and their servants living on the La Petite Cottage plantation.
There is an expansive cast of characters in this multigenerational saga, some whom whom you’ll love, others you will dislike with a passion. Even the minor characters have a huge part to play. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and the author is very clever at getting across their thoughts and feelings, sometimes with only the blink of an eye or a slight head movement indicating precisely what the person thinking or feeling. Complicated relationships are also explored the most prominent being Madame Sylvia Guilbert’s relationship with her servant, Thisbe. Thisbe is treated abominably, and there are some truly shocking and eye-opening moments.
A Sitting in St James is an incredibly well researched and complex novel and I loved the way the story all unravelled in the aftermath of the party and the portrait unveiling. Before I read this I had little knowledge of Louisiana and its history and it has been fascinating and thought-provoking learning about it. Definitely one to read again as I’m sure I missed a lot of detail in the first sitting. A powerful and sweeping novel which will have you mesmerised from start to finish. Although it is advertised as a young adult novel it could be enjoyed by both YA readers and adult readers alike. It certainly won’t be the last novel I read by this author.
TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending a review copy my way.
There is an expansive cast of characters in this multigenerational saga, some whom whom you’ll love, others you will dislike with a passion. Even the minor characters have a huge part to play. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and the author is very clever at getting across their thoughts and feelings, sometimes with only the blink of an eye or a slight head movement indicating precisely what the person thinking or feeling. Complicated relationships are also explored the most prominent being Madame Sylvia Guilbert’s relationship with her servant, Thisbe. Thisbe is treated abominably, and there are some truly shocking and eye-opening moments.
A Sitting in St James is an incredibly well researched and complex novel and I loved the way the story all unravelled in the aftermath of the party and the portrait unveiling. Before I read this I had little knowledge of Louisiana and its history and it has been fascinating and thought-provoking learning about it. Definitely one to read again as I’m sure I missed a lot of detail in the first sitting. A powerful and sweeping novel which will have you mesmerised from start to finish. Although it is advertised as a young adult novel it could be enjoyed by both YA readers and adult readers alike. It certainly won’t be the last novel I read by this author.
TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending a review copy my way.
July 3, 2021
I really liked this book. The writing is beautiful; reminds me of Michel Faber and James Reese. The cover drew me in and the plot is well formed. The setting is easy to picture.
However, this is in NO WAY a young adult book. The main character is 80! And even if you consider Thisbe or Byron to be main characters, you dont even get to know them until midway. The characters’ inner feelings and thoughts are so distant from the reader until several chapters in. Rosalie is definitely not a main character; she doesn’t appear until way later and possibly only stands in the commissary when she isnt on the main page.
The book really redeems itself 60% in. You finally get to know the characters and start to relate to them. But i feel like this book should be marketed to “new adult”, like 18-35 year olds. The fact that it’s historical removes the relatability somewhat (because we dont live in the 19th c) and so caring about the characters has to come from THE CHARACTERS. There’s no way if i were reading this at 15 i’d even continue. It’s dense and there’s a lot of subtext, which is AMAZING and very intriguing for an ADULT book.
I thought i’d recognized the author’s name…she wrote one crazy summer which is an actual middle grade book.
However, this is in NO WAY a young adult book. The main character is 80! And even if you consider Thisbe or Byron to be main characters, you dont even get to know them until midway. The characters’ inner feelings and thoughts are so distant from the reader until several chapters in. Rosalie is definitely not a main character; she doesn’t appear until way later and possibly only stands in the commissary when she isnt on the main page.
The book really redeems itself 60% in. You finally get to know the characters and start to relate to them. But i feel like this book should be marketed to “new adult”, like 18-35 year olds. The fact that it’s historical removes the relatability somewhat (because we dont live in the 19th c) and so caring about the characters has to come from THE CHARACTERS. There’s no way if i were reading this at 15 i’d even continue. It’s dense and there’s a lot of subtext, which is AMAZING and very intriguing for an ADULT book.
I thought i’d recognized the author’s name…she wrote one crazy summer which is an actual middle grade book.
September 16, 2021
This book is one that is hard to review in that the way I felt about it is kind of hard to define. A SITTING IN ST. JAMES takes us into a deep dive into plantation life in South Louisiana on the eve of the Civil War as Madame Sylvie Guilbert sits for a portrait. What we see here is a story of the deep history of how racism against Black people was perpetuated by white elite dehumanizing Black slaves and treating them like chattel. It is a story that is a hard but necessary read. It isn't one filled with twists or turns of plot, but it is a book that impacted me. Impeccably well-researched, Williams-Garcia takes what is a portrait sitting and exposes the ugly history of white supremacy in America that still rings true to this day and I thought it was really worthwhile. This is review is short but this is the kind of book that speaks for itself.
April 9, 2021
Holy wow, this is a LOT of book, in the best possible way.
July 6, 2021
Wow. And whoa. And WOW! At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2021/07/0...
October 12, 2021
Quite an interesting story. I will say it read like a soap opera. The whole story was character based. Not sure what the plot was.
WARNING: adult only read
WARNING: adult only read
June 2, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Quill Tree Books for a digital ARC of A Sitting in St. James in exchange for an honest review.
A Sitting in St. James is incredibly well-written historical fiction - richly detailed and thoroughly researched, with a strong narrative voice that leads the reader through a somewhat meandering but necessary exploration of the particular histories of each character and the systems that trap them.
The story focuses on the barely-hanging-on Le Petit Cottage plantation a year before the start of the American Civil War: its domineering matriarch Madame Sylvie; her lecherous and abusive son; her grandson Byron, who is as in love with the Southern "way of life" as he is his fellow West Point classmate Pearce; her un-acknowledged mixed-race granddaughter Rosalie; and most compellingly, her personal servant whom she names "Thisbe" after Marie Antoinette's dog.
This is a difficult book to review - very good, but very hard to read. It is so nuanced and so effective at portraying the callous dehumanization that drove the enslavement of Black people in the Americas, and continues to echo today. I really appreciated Rita Williams-Garcia's Author's Note at the end detailing her three-pronged inspiration for this book: a daydream, a dream, and a question from a 12 year old Black boy at a panel: "Why do they hate us?" - they meaning white people. This book is her answer. It is as much about the individual characters as it is the oppressive systems they participate in and uphold.
At a certain point, I was so drawn into the complexities of the characters I couldn't put the book down. I actually didn't realize it's a YA book until after I finished, partially because Madame Sylvie is such a constant and dominant force in the story, and perhaps because of the themes and maturity level.
One of the more surprising characters is Jane, perhaps the original Horse Girl, who rejects the norms and expectations of her gender not as a matter of rebellion or politics but merely because they are not natural to her. I read her as possibly neurodivergent and genderqueer - though these are of course modern labels.
This book is a story of stories - the story of Madame Sylvie sitting for a portrait, but the telling of it offers many more portraits. I will be thinking about them for a long time.
Content warnings: racist violence, racial slurs, rape, murder, description of childhood sexual assault.
A Sitting in St. James is incredibly well-written historical fiction - richly detailed and thoroughly researched, with a strong narrative voice that leads the reader through a somewhat meandering but necessary exploration of the particular histories of each character and the systems that trap them.
The story focuses on the barely-hanging-on Le Petit Cottage plantation a year before the start of the American Civil War: its domineering matriarch Madame Sylvie; her lecherous and abusive son; her grandson Byron, who is as in love with the Southern "way of life" as he is his fellow West Point classmate Pearce; her un-acknowledged mixed-race granddaughter Rosalie; and most compellingly, her personal servant whom she names "Thisbe" after Marie Antoinette's dog.
This is a difficult book to review - very good, but very hard to read. It is so nuanced and so effective at portraying the callous dehumanization that drove the enslavement of Black people in the Americas, and continues to echo today. I really appreciated Rita Williams-Garcia's Author's Note at the end detailing her three-pronged inspiration for this book: a daydream, a dream, and a question from a 12 year old Black boy at a panel: "Why do they hate us?" - they meaning white people. This book is her answer. It is as much about the individual characters as it is the oppressive systems they participate in and uphold.
At a certain point, I was so drawn into the complexities of the characters I couldn't put the book down. I actually didn't realize it's a YA book until after I finished, partially because Madame Sylvie is such a constant and dominant force in the story, and perhaps because of the themes and maturity level.
One of the more surprising characters is Jane, perhaps the original Horse Girl, who rejects the norms and expectations of her gender not as a matter of rebellion or politics but merely because they are not natural to her. I read her as possibly neurodivergent and genderqueer - though these are of course modern labels.
This book is a story of stories - the story of Madame Sylvie sitting for a portrait, but the telling of it offers many more portraits. I will be thinking about them for a long time.
Content warnings: racist violence, racial slurs, rape, murder, description of childhood sexual assault.
January 27, 2022
I initially avoided this book because it looks so grim, long, and daunting, but I kept hearing about how good it was and so I dove in. I'm so glad I did!
Although this is historical fiction, the framing of the story around the entitled, hot-mess plantation family works as an interesting parallel to society today. There are no shortages of horrific events that occur. The way rape and cruelty are dealt with in such a cavalier way works to highlight the appalling nature of the white family, and it also makes for a difficult reading experience. Power dynamics of the 19th century Louisiana plantation society are laid bare as women, and especially Black women, are used as currency and blamed for their own abuse with no regard for them as human beings. It also points to the reasons why people can act this way.
This sounds like an extremely unpleasant book to read, but the prose is compulsively readable, and rest assured, the ending allows for characters to get their due. I particularly appreciated following Thisbe's journey. As the main character, she has no agency and the reader rarely hears from her, despite the fact that she is present throughout much of the book.
This is Williams-Garcia's masterpiece and it's a shame it didn't pick up any ALA awards. The author's note alone could win an award! This story feels like what you would get if you mixed together Jane Austen's character study mixed in with Toni Morrison's examinations of race and gender. Highly recommend!
Although this is historical fiction, the framing of the story around the entitled, hot-mess plantation family works as an interesting parallel to society today. There are no shortages of horrific events that occur. The way rape and cruelty are dealt with in such a cavalier way works to highlight the appalling nature of the white family, and it also makes for a difficult reading experience. Power dynamics of the 19th century Louisiana plantation society are laid bare as women, and especially Black women, are used as currency and blamed for their own abuse with no regard for them as human beings. It also points to the reasons why people can act this way.
This sounds like an extremely unpleasant book to read, but the prose is compulsively readable, and rest assured, the ending allows for characters to get their due. I particularly appreciated following Thisbe's journey. As the main character, she has no agency and the reader rarely hears from her, despite the fact that she is present throughout much of the book.
This is Williams-Garcia's masterpiece and it's a shame it didn't pick up any ALA awards. The author's note alone could win an award! This story feels like what you would get if you mixed together Jane Austen's character study mixed in with Toni Morrison's examinations of race and gender. Highly recommend!
October 18, 2022
I have so much to say about this book, but yet I'm at a loss for words. It is simply gorgeous.
The characters: so well developed they jump off the page. (Although Jane confused me bc, historically, no one would be allowed to talk like that in society. She struck me as odd.)
The plot: Entrancing. You don't want to put this book down.
The setting: feels like you are in the antebellum bayou.
The history: my god, the research that went into this book.
The social commentary: you have to read the author's afterword about how she came to write a book about slavery from this perspective. It is absolutely essential to understanding the core of this novel.
The cover: stunning.
Literally everything about this book is perfect. I was engrossed in it and I feel like I need to read everything she's ever written now.
Bear in mind though, I don't feel this book is YA. I read a LOT of YA and this is a bit too adult. Not content wise--although it is a bit edgy, I don't feel that should ever limit inclusion in the YA category--but just topically and the way it's written. It feels adult and any teen who reads this may be left with more questions and confusion than answers. There's a lot of nuance that would go underappreciated by a younger audience with less life experience.
The characters: so well developed they jump off the page. (Although Jane confused me bc, historically, no one would be allowed to talk like that in society. She struck me as odd.)
The plot: Entrancing. You don't want to put this book down.
The setting: feels like you are in the antebellum bayou.
The history: my god, the research that went into this book.
The social commentary: you have to read the author's afterword about how she came to write a book about slavery from this perspective. It is absolutely essential to understanding the core of this novel.
The cover: stunning.
Literally everything about this book is perfect. I was engrossed in it and I feel like I need to read everything she's ever written now.
Bear in mind though, I don't feel this book is YA. I read a LOT of YA and this is a bit too adult. Not content wise--although it is a bit edgy, I don't feel that should ever limit inclusion in the YA category--but just topically and the way it's written. It feels adult and any teen who reads this may be left with more questions and confusion than answers. There's a lot of nuance that would go underappreciated by a younger audience with less life experience.
October 3, 2021
An important read, but one I don't think I'll read again. It was slow, but I slowly became invested in certain characters like Thisbe. I really appreciate the author's note at the end- to understand systemic racism in the US and violence against people of color, we must look to our past, painful as it is. I could see this book being used in high school english or history classes to help students grapple with difficult content.
September 15, 2024
4.6/5 stars — such a compelling, complex, heart-wrenching, and ultimately hopeful story. equal parts hard to read and hard to put down, unflinching without being gratuitous.
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
July 11, 2021
It's been awhile since I've read her work. This was kinda too long, but a good read.
April 1, 2022
Well-researched, quietly powerful. I could not put it down.
May 19, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
A very well researched exploration of both the day-to-day details and the far reaching impact of American slavery and it's impact on racism today. While difficult to read at times, this book is masterfully written and should be a must-read for anyone wishing to explore the underlying issues of hierarchical systems.
A very well researched exploration of both the day-to-day details and the far reaching impact of American slavery and it's impact on racism today. While difficult to read at times, this book is masterfully written and should be a must-read for anyone wishing to explore the underlying issues of hierarchical systems.
June 1, 2022
4.5. Adored this historical fiction and the flawed characters and themes explored.
didn-t-finish
July 29, 2021Taking a Break. I am not in a place to read about this much cruelty. It is hands down excellent.
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