River Sing Me Home: A GMA Book Club Pick

This is the first book I read with my book club. I normally wouldn’t read this genre (historical fiction) but I really enjoyed it. I cried in sadness and joy. The storytelling was beautiful and I’m glad I got to experience this book

🌺 River Sing Me Home This story follows the journey of Rachel, who has ran away from her plantation in hopes of finding freedom and reuniting her family who has been separated and sold off from her. 🇧🇧 Barbados is where Rachel’s journey begins and she finds herself on the other side of the island after finding a group of other runaways living in obscurity. There she finds home and the motivation see needs to set out on her journey. Reading this book brought out a lot of different emotions for me. I was inspired by the main characters passion and thirst for survival, but the realities of slavery left me filled with hatred for those who oppressed so many others. I found joy in Rachel and her journey but was oftentimes reminded that after being held captive for so long, freedom still can escape you. Mentally one can be free, but still not know what it means to live it. I highly recommend this read, which was well written and told a cohesive story. There are several triggers which may cause uncertainty for readers at time, but if you keep pressing forward, just like Rachel did, you will see light at the end of the tunnel. Book 📚 Review by Fallon Vaughn, moderator We will be discussing, River Sing Me Home tonight on Zoom 7PM CST/8PM EST. #thisbrownegirlreads #tbgrbookclub #readcaribbean

Content warning for enslavement, sexual violence, abuse, graphic descriptions, and related topics. I really liked this novel. I've read a number of historical fiction books following the end of slavery set in America, but not one in the Caribbean. This book taught me new things and was really beautifully done. I liked the characters, especially Rachel. She was an amazing protagonist and so dimensional. There was some serious suspension of disbelief when it came to the plot, especially the ending. The ending is really ambiguous and I would have preferred some more certainty.

Following a mother and her quest for her children was a touching adventure the author brings us on. Inclined to cheer and want more for the main character, Rachel, the author managed to write the journey with such contentment, pride and solace through the drive of a mother and their connection to their children. I really liked how the author didn't write it overzealous but from the view of a mother who accepts her fate but just wants to know the peace and path of her children. The way the author is able to honor the history of the Caribbean, slavery, and struggles of the BIPOC from this generation is illuminating additions to the plot. I found myself staring at the beautiful cover and daydreaming often. This was a pleasure to read and a suggestion for all. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Added by Nancy