Play Book Tag discussion
November 2019: American History
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Hidden in Plain View - Tobin and Dobard, 2.5 stars
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I had heard about this book and the quilts before, and wondered if any of it were true- I just cannot imagine any runaway slaves carrying a quilt with them! I am sorry this book was not what you expected-I wonder if there is anything else out there on the subject?
Joanne wrote: "I had heard about this book and the quilts before, and wondered if any of it were true- I just cannot imagine any runaway slaves carrying a quilt with them! I am sorry this book was not what you ex..."I thought maybe the book would tell the story of how quilts were used along the way to tell the runaway slaves where it was safe to stop. That makes more sense to me.
I am inspired to looks for more factual reading about the Underground Railroad and the conductors along the way. I would love suggestions if you know of anything.
Lyn wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I had heard about this book and the quilts before, and wondered if any of it were true- I just cannot imagine any runaway slaves carrying a quilt with them! I am sorry this book was ..."I don't know of any, but I will keep you in mind if I come across any
This book has been on my TBR for years but I've never picked it up. I think this is the sign I need to finally remove it.
2.5 stars
This was an interesting book, and not necessarily in a good way. First of all, I have never read a book with 3 forewords and 2 author notes before the book actually started. Yep, I read 33 pages before Chapter 1 even began. The premise of the book is to present the theory of secret messages in quilts. The theory is that there are secret messages to slaves in the south hidden in the quilts made by slaves to prepare them for the journey to freedom along the underground railroad. The theory is interesting, but definitely not proven in the book. The authors ask more questions than they provide answers or proof. They provide a "hidden message" in the quilts, like the way the quilt is tied, then ask, if the safe houses are 5 miles apart, then couldn't the 5 ties on the quilt tell the escaping slaves where to stop? It was all crazy! As a reader, you just can't take any of this seriously.
I did find the mini biographies of Tubman, Douglas, Turner and others interesting. And the timeline at the end of the book was enlightening.
If you are serious about learning about the underground railroad, you might want to skip this one. I had picked up this book with my mother in mind, she is a quilter and enjoys reading American history. I will not be sharing this with her, she would think it is just silly.