Yellow Crocus in Crazy Challenge Connection

Oct 25, 2018 Book Concierge rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, slavery, audio, historical-fiction, concierge, strong-women, library, social-commentary, ohio, virginia

Book on CD performed by Bahni Turpin.
3.5***

From the book jacket: Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come.

My reactions
Good historical fiction set in 1837 to 1860 Virginia. The novel explores the ways in which family bonds are formed regardless of biol ...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: coming-of-age, netgalley, american, southern, tower-team, hmd-read

First of all a rating, 4.5 stars.

So where to begin with this review.

This book is wonderful, and deeply moving. Tugging on many many emotions. My heart swelled up and it also broke, my eyes filled with tears but I also smiled. Felt struggle and pain also pride and joy. Pure happiness as well as pure agony.

The topic of slavery in the US has also been of interest to me, as a small child one of my favorite books was Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman, a book that I have read many times and First of all a rating, 4.5 stars.

So where to begin with this review.

This book is wonderful, and deeply moving. Tugging on many many emotions. My heart swelled up and it also broke, my eyes filled with tears but I also smiled. Felt struggle and pain also pride and joy. Pure happiness as well as pure agony.

The topic of slavery in the US has also been of interest to me, as a small child one of my favorite books was Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman, a book that I have read many times and still own today. I have written papers in University about slavery and abolitionism, it should never have happened.

No person should have ever been allowed to own another. No race, gender, creed, sexual orientation is any better then the other. We are all equal and should be treated as such.

But other then a story involving slavery, Yellow Crocus is a coming of age story. The bond and love between 'Lisbeth and her nurse, Mattie is so strong and that time, space and skin color can't do anything to break it.

Yellow Crocus follows both their story, switching sides through out the book. Essentially it's told from the side of 'Lisbeth as we watch her grow and come of age. She is naive and innocent to the ways of world, she knows that her family and other white families "owned" black people as field hands and house slaves. But she really has no idea of the cruelty behind it, she is led to believe that they are helping them to become more Christian and this is just the way it is. That is the best thing for them, they are protecting them. Until one day she witnesses the terror in a poor little girls eyes, an image that haunts her day in and out. Waking her up to question and realize all that she was taught to believe, that owning another human being, slavery is wrong.

So now why 4.5 stars and not 5?

It got to the point where I knew what was going to happen in the story, I just new it was going to happen. Also I would have liked to seen more events from Mattie's side. And I wanted more in the end, I wanted more story.

I highly highly recommend this book, if you have any interest in that point of time in history or if you just want a story that will touch your heart. ...more

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