Tag: slavery

Jane Yang—The lotus shoes

In 1800s China Little Flower’s father dies and her destitute mother takes to Canton and sells her into slavery to the Fong family while keeping her son. She is to be the maidservant to the spoilt Linjing. Despite the practice of foot binding, Linjing has been spared because she is destined to marry a man who does not want his wife to have bound feet. Still, she is jealous of Little Flower whose mother bound her feet at four. Little Flower is an accomplished embroider and Linjing is jealous of the attention her mother pays to the muizai’s skills. At each turn, Linjing destroys Little Flower’s hope of ever being free. Can she ever break free from the confinement and humiliation of being a slave with Linjing quelling goals?

This is an engrossing story encompassing the hardships and narrow lives of all women in a China dominated by privileged men, but a deeper concern, is other woman.

Ailish Sinclair’s—The mermaid and the bear * and Fireflies and chocolate*

In 15^th century England, Isobell escapes before she is forced into a marriage with Richard—a cruel and nasty friend of her sadistic older brother. She sets sail with her twin brother, Jasper and Ian and head north to Scotland. In a Scottish castle she finds refuge as a kitchen maid helping Bessie. But Agnes who takes care of the Laird’s son, is full of malice, and Richard and her older brother head north in search of Isobell. Can she survive Agnes’s acid tongue and Richard’s determination to claim his prize in an era of witch hunts?

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Yaa Gyasi’s—Homegoing *****

This bi-family generational saga begins in the 1700s. The British have established Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. Because of Effia’s mother’s cunning plan, Effia is married to an Englishman and moves away from her Asante tribe to live with her new husband in Coast Castle. Esi begins the journey of the second family. She’s locked up below Coast Castle with hundreds of others awaiting shipment to another part of the world and a life of slavery.

The lives of these two families continue to the present day with each chapter centered around the following generation.

Laila Lalami’s — The moor’s account *****

In the 1500s in Morocco, Mustafa ibn Muhammad is a kind older brother to his twin brothers and a successful merchant. But when he loses his position due to difficult times, he is forced to sell himself into slavery so that his mother and brothers will not starve. After several years he becomes part of an expedition to New Spain (today’s Southern U.S.A.) led by de Narvaez who plans to capture the land for the Spanish crown and become as famous as Cortes. But once they land in New Florida starvation and disease force the contingent to steal and plunder whatever they can from Indian tribes. Within a year only four have survived: Mustafa (who was reassigned a new name — Estebanico), his master, Dorantes, Cabeza de Vaco and Castillo. Will they ever be able to return to their native countries or will they too, die from disease or at the hands of Indians? This is a fascinating account seen through the eyes of Mustafa/Estebanico a desperate survivor who only hopes for his freedom from bondage.