A beautifully written slave narrative combined with magical realism and light fantasy.
A beautifully written slave narrative combined with magical realism and light fantasy.
The first half of the novel switches perspectives between Gaelle, a woman living in present day Ohio who works at a nursing home, Margot, a slave in 1850s Louisiana who works as a house slave with her sister and grandmother, and Abigail, a slave in 1790s Haiti which is on the cusp of revolution. I really enjoyed learning about these women, their lives, and how they are connected.
The second half of the novel focuses on Abigail, older now and known as Mother Abigail, and Remembrance, the secret hideaway she’s created in the forest. Remembrance is invisible to the rest of the world because of the Edge, a magical barrier created by Mother Abigail. We’re also introduced to Winter, who was found by Mother Abigail as a baby next to her dead mother on the outskirts of Remembrance. Winter has her own power that she is struggling to understand and control.
The prose was excellent and I really liked the story, but I wish the pacing and structure had been more consistent throughout. The modern timeline with Gaelle didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the book, and starting the book by frequently switching time periods didn’t mesh well with the latter half of the book when we are only in Remembrance.
I would recommend this for fans of Octavia Butler and Colson Whitehead.
The first half of the novel switches perspectives between Gaelle, a woman living in present day Ohio who works at a nursing home, Margot, a slave in 1850s Louisiana who works as a house slave with her sister and grandmother, and Abigail, a slave in 1790s Haiti which is on the cusp of revolution. I really enjoyed learning about these women, their lives, and how they are connected.
The second half of the novel focuses on Abigail, older now and known as Mother Abigail, and Remembrance, the secret hideaway she’s created in the forest. Remembrance is invisible to the rest of the world because of the Edge, a magical barrier created by Mother Abigail. We’re also introduced to Winter, who was found by Mother Abigail as a baby next to her dead mother on the outskirts of Remembrance. Winter has her own power that she is struggling to understand and control.
The prose was excellent and I really liked the story, but I wish the pacing and structure had been more consistent throughout. The modern timeline with Gaelle didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the book, and starting the book by frequently switching time periods didn’t mesh well with the latter half of the book when we are only in Remembrance.
I would recommend this for fans of Octavia Butler and Colson Whitehead.