Day of Tears by Julius Lester is about one plantation owner and his slaves, told through character dialogue. This format gives the reader a peek into the minds of all of the characters, including the master, the daughters of the master, the slaves, and the slave seller. Pierce Butler, the master/plantation owner, decides to sell most of his slaves to pay his enormous gambling debt. As a result, he hosts the largest slave auction in American history. The story follows Emma, a slave and caretaker of Pierce's two daughters, through her journey from slavery to freedom.This book was excellent. It was very compelling. Because of the style of writing, I found it quick and easy to read. I felt like I was privy to information about the characters that most novels do not divulge because of the dialogue format. The story also contains several "flash forward" vignettes where the characters comment on a situation as though it happened in the past. This novel really shows all sides of this time in history. This is one of the 2008-2009 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominees.
1 comment:
I didn't really think that it was that good but, I loved the story line that it had. I felt so bad for Emma for being sold away from her parents.
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