Kedzie: Saint Helena Island Slave

by Bonnie Stanard

St. Helena Island slaves speak English, but African drums still throb in their veins; they hear the whispers of their ancestors. From this arises a girl of unusual strength, whose pampered life ends when her kindly mistress dies, and she moves to a shanty in the quarters. Kedzie soon learns that the punishing fields aren’t nearly as grim as her master’s abuse. Enter Rio, a young man without a family and at a loss for a heritage. He loves Kedzie, but he can’t rescue her. Kedzie alone can save herself. How a people survives adversity is a story that never grows old. This is a bold look at slavery. No explanations. No apologies. If you like historical fiction, Kedzie is a must-read. Don’t miss it!

Genres: Historical Fiction

308 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2011

About the author

Bonnie Rawls Stanard grew up in South Carolina on a farm near the North Edisto River, went to college, married Doug Stanard in Virginia Beach, and has moved as far as Brussels, Belgium in following his career. It is often the case that she doesn’t know what she thinks until she writes it down. This is particularly true of poetry. She’s been thinking enough to write seven novels and two books of poetry, which can be found at various online venues. Most of her novels are historical fiction, which allows readers to travel back in time and explore the historical record.

Reviews

[Bonnie Stanard]

Great book!

[Laura Russll]

Amazing book

Would love to see a continuation of these characters! Please write more! What happens to Jessie and rio? Please tell!

[Shawna]

Some very exciting parts in between a lot of slow moving parts. It was hard for me to stay involved in the story. Kind of a strange ending as well. Not my favorite.

[Chickenlips422]

I found myself rooting for Kedzie to escape from her situation. The use of 'slave dialect' combined with the colorful descriptions of the setting made the story seem historically authentic. The cliff-hanger ending made me want to go and get the next book to read to find out what happens.

[Jamie]

I liked the book but hated the ending.

[Jannette Roberge]

Had a hard time putting this one down.

[Wendy Bass]

A very good read!