Caetana Says No: Women's Stories from a Brazilian Slave Society

New Approaches to the Americas

by Sandra Lauderdale Graham

These true and dramatic stories of two nineteenth-century Brazilian women; one young and born a slave, the other old and from an illustrious planter family; show how each in her own way sought to exercise control over her life. The slave woman struggled to avoid an unwanted husband and the woman of privilege assumed a patriarch's role to endow a family of her former slaves with the means for a free life. Sandra Lauderdale Graham casts new light on larger meanings of slave and free, female and male, through these compact histories.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Brazil, Latin American History, School

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read for my history class. Was okay, boring at times (some parts were practically just data) but overall themes were very insightful. My favorite parts were the very end of each story when the author tied everything together.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is NOT a good introductory book into the subject matter of slavery. [Also, this is a good time for me to use the disclaimer that I know little about Brazilian History, and am looking at this text from a global perspective on slavery]. But it is interesting. I would agree with other reviews that this book is a bit dry, but for those interested in the subject matter it would be worth the read.

I appreciate Graham's micro view at such a large issue, and how straightforwardly each story is told. These stories individually nuance the taught history surrounding slavery, and as such should not be read with the aims of gaining an overview of slavery. That is not the book's purpose [which is why I wouldn't recommend this to someone with a novice understanding of slave systems]. Graham's ability to highlight the differences between the individual stories and what was considered typical and her insistence on informing the reader that there is still much we cannot know about these women's stories are where the book gains most of its value. The supplemental primary sources are also lovely, not only in fortifying her statements but also in partially demonstrating her process.

[Julissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caetana Says No is a deeply compelling and essential collection that brings to life the voices of women in Brazilian slave society. Through personal stories and testimonies, it sheds light on the resilience, struggles, and resistance of enslaved women whose experiences are often overlooked in history. The book combines powerful narrative with meticulous research, offering a vivid and emotional portrayal of the complexities of gender, race, and power. This work is an invaluable contribution to understanding the human side of slavery in Brazil and is a must-read for anyone interested in history, gender studies, or social justice.

[NASH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a class about narratives of slavery. The stories in this book did a great job contextualizing the culture of slavery in Brazil at the time. The story of these women is extremely important to understanding the how intersections of identity like age, race, gender, etc. play a role in their experience as enslaved people. The book pieces together legal documents to uncover the story of these women which is very revealing about lack of documentation but makes for a very boring story at times. The story fostered some really interesting discussions about the patriarchy, family hierarchy, and intersectionality; however, the book on its own is somewhat tedious and judicial.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a good book really. I tried really hard to read it line-by-line, but I found myself skipping parts. It's certainly interest at points and I feel I have somewhat of an understanding about women in slave society, but it didn't read well. It was slow and had a lot of legal terms and such that were simply boring. I more preferred the second story of the elderly woman who freed slaves in her will, but that was because it went by faster and was better written. I think these could have been published as detailed essays or articles rather than a book.

[Sam Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the topic really had potential even as a historigraphical account but Graham just made it extremely dry and didn't speculate as critically or as innovatively as I would have liked.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting explorations of two legal cases dealing with slavery in Brazil