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Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2023), Nominee for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel (2023)Majitel plantáže Providence na Barbadosu shromáždí své otroky a oznámí jim, že král nařídil konec otroctví. Radost ale pomine, když se dozvědí, že už sice nejsou jeho otroky, ale stávají se z nich učňové. Nikdo nemůže odejít. Musí pro něj pracovat dalších šest let. Svoboda je jen jiný název pro život, který vedli odjakživa, a tak se Rachel rozhodne utéct. Daleko od Providence začíná zoufale pátrat po svých pěti dětech, které byly z plantáže prodány jinam. Rachel potřebuje zjistit, jestli je některé z nich ještě naživu. Vyčerpávající a nebezpečná cesta ji zavede z Barbadosu hluboko do pralesů Britské Guyany, a nakonec přes moře na Trinidad. Kupředu ji žene jistota, že nenajde klid, dokud nezjistí, co se stalo s jejími dětmi, ať už je pravda jakákoliv… A také touha po skutečné svobodě.
280 pages, ebook
First published January 19, 2023
2109 people are currently reading
112887 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Shearer
2 books579 followersEleanor Shearer is a mixed race writer from the UK. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate on the coast of Kent, so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea.
As the granddaughter of Caribbean immigrants who came to the UK as part of the Windrush Generation, Eleanor has always been drawn to Caribbean history. Her first novel, RIVER SING ME HOME (Headline, UK & Berkley, USA) is inspired by the true stories of the brave woman who went looking for their stolen children after the abolition of slavery in 1834.
The novel draws on her time spent in the Caribbean, visiting family in St Lucia and Barbados. It was also informed by her Master's degree in Politics, where she focused on how slavery is remembered on the islands today. She travelled to the Caribbean and interviewed activists, historians and family members, and their reflections on what it really means to be free made her more determined than ever to bring the hidden stories of slavery to light.
As the granddaughter of Caribbean immigrants who came to the UK as part of the Windrush Generation, Eleanor has always been drawn to Caribbean history. Her first novel, RIVER SING ME HOME (Headline, UK & Berkley, USA) is inspired by the true stories of the brave woman who went looking for their stolen children after the abolition of slavery in 1834.
The novel draws on her time spent in the Caribbean, visiting family in St Lucia and Barbados. It was also informed by her Master's degree in Politics, where she focused on how slavery is remembered on the islands today. She travelled to the Caribbean and interviewed activists, historians and family members, and their reflections on what it really means to be free made her more determined than ever to bring the hidden stories of slavery to light.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,838 reviews
December 5, 2022
This debut novel does exactly what I want historic fiction to do - teach me something while telling me a good story. When England declared slavery abolished, I had no clue that the white plantation owners in the Caribbean didn’t comply. No, instead they stated that all slaves were now apprentices and had to work for an additional 6 years. They were still bound to the plantations and could be punished if they ran off. But despite that, Rachel does leave her plantation, going in search of her children that were sold off. It takes her first to Bridgetown, Barbados, British Guiana and finally Trinidad.
The story, as you would imagine, is heartbreaking. But it’s also a message of hope - of how far a mother will go for her children and of the different types of freedom the children found.
Shearer is a mixed race English author of Caribbean descent, so the subject was important to her. And she has done her research. The story is based on a real woman. But she also learned that “many women downed their tools and walked all over their islands to try and find their stolen children.”
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
The story, as you would imagine, is heartbreaking. But it’s also a message of hope - of how far a mother will go for her children and of the different types of freedom the children found.
Shearer is a mixed race English author of Caribbean descent, so the subject was important to her. And she has done her research. The story is based on a real woman. But she also learned that “many women downed their tools and walked all over their islands to try and find their stolen children.”
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
March 11, 2023
There are a million mediocre books out there about historical injustices. Well, this is one of them.
This novel has an incredible premise which immediately grabbed me: as slavery is in the slow process of being abolished in the British colonies of the Caribbean, an enslaved woman escapes and goes on a journey to find her five adult children, who were sold away from her mostly as preteens. What a fascinating basis for a book: will she be able to find them? What will they have experienced and who will they have become? How will all these people relate to each other now?
My disappointment was that this is sold as literary fiction, but it is very firmly pop lit: emotions are straightforward and bluntly explained rather than shown to the reader; no one has a personality outside of their circumstances; the writing is in that standard blandly functional style you find in bestsellers and YA novels. It’s one of those novels that made me wish I was reading a nonfiction version of this story instead, with all the messiness and complexity that real people would bring to the tale.
On the positive side, we do get a little tour of the Caribbean in the 1830s, as our heroine travels from Barbados to British Guiana to Trinidad. And although it wasn’t developed with the kind of skill that would get me deeply invested, I did like seeing the different circumstances of Rachel’s two sons and three daughters. Shearer uses them and a variety of secondary characters to showcase a variety of experiences, different tragedies under slavery and varying ways that people resisted or found freedom. Some of the reunions are happier than others, but while there’s a lot of awful in the book, ultimately the characters’ resilience makes it more hopeful than not.
Still, I was disappointed throughout. The characters are really flat, with simplistic arcs, and Rachel’s musings and reactions can feel off: for instance, when she finds out about the death of a child and spends one sentence crying in the arms of the person who told her before immediately seguing into two paragraphs about how she’s a survivor and will get through this. This is not news. “Survivor” was already her entire personality.
Also, there is more mind-reading in this book than I’ve ever seen in a novel without actual psychic powers. People are forever understanding languages they don’t speak, or deducing complex and specific factual information from facial expressions. My favorite is when Rachel concludes from a man staring at her face that he must know her daughter, who therefore must live on the plantation in question. She takes a huge gamble based on this assumption, but don’t worry, the author has her back.
Relatedly, there’s a tendency for the plot to feel just too convenient: Rachel finds most of her children through random coincidence, and threats are always resolved before they become too exciting. This comes to a head with the ridiculous climax, in which What a weird combination of the most extreme possible circumstances with the easiest possible resolution of them.
At any rate, if you normally enjoy bestsellers or anything that features historical injustices and righteous protagonists, you may want to give this a go. But if you’re likely to be bothered by plot contrivances or surface-level writing and characters, I recommend passing on this one.
This novel has an incredible premise which immediately grabbed me: as slavery is in the slow process of being abolished in the British colonies of the Caribbean, an enslaved woman escapes and goes on a journey to find her five adult children, who were sold away from her mostly as preteens. What a fascinating basis for a book: will she be able to find them? What will they have experienced and who will they have become? How will all these people relate to each other now?
My disappointment was that this is sold as literary fiction, but it is very firmly pop lit: emotions are straightforward and bluntly explained rather than shown to the reader; no one has a personality outside of their circumstances; the writing is in that standard blandly functional style you find in bestsellers and YA novels. It’s one of those novels that made me wish I was reading a nonfiction version of this story instead, with all the messiness and complexity that real people would bring to the tale.
On the positive side, we do get a little tour of the Caribbean in the 1830s, as our heroine travels from Barbados to British Guiana to Trinidad. And although it wasn’t developed with the kind of skill that would get me deeply invested, I did like seeing the different circumstances of Rachel’s two sons and three daughters. Shearer uses them and a variety of secondary characters to showcase a variety of experiences, different tragedies under slavery and varying ways that people resisted or found freedom. Some of the reunions are happier than others, but while there’s a lot of awful in the book, ultimately the characters’ resilience makes it more hopeful than not.
Still, I was disappointed throughout. The characters are really flat, with simplistic arcs, and Rachel’s musings and reactions can feel off: for instance, when she finds out about the death of a child and spends one sentence crying in the arms of the person who told her before immediately seguing into two paragraphs about how she’s a survivor and will get through this. This is not news. “Survivor” was already her entire personality.
Also, there is more mind-reading in this book than I’ve ever seen in a novel without actual psychic powers. People are forever understanding languages they don’t speak, or deducing complex and specific factual information from facial expressions. My favorite is when Rachel concludes from a man staring at her face that he must know her daughter, who therefore must live on the plantation in question. She takes a huge gamble based on this assumption, but don’t worry, the author has her back.
Relatedly, there’s a tendency for the plot to feel just too convenient: Rachel finds most of her children through random coincidence, and threats are always resolved before they become too exciting. This comes to a head with the ridiculous climax, in which What a weird combination of the most extreme possible circumstances with the easiest possible resolution of them.
At any rate, if you normally enjoy bestsellers or anything that features historical injustices and righteous protagonists, you may want to give this a go. But if you’re likely to be bothered by plot contrivances or surface-level writing and characters, I recommend passing on this one.
June 29, 2023
“A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path”.
-The Last Seance (from The Hound of Death and Other Stories, also Double Sin and Other Stories)”
― Agatha Christie, The Hound of Death.
Providence plantation, Barbados.
The King has decreed an end to slavery with the new Emancipation Act of 1834 coming into effect. However, the Master of Providence has told the supposedly free slaves that they will have to work as apprentices for him for the next six years, they weren’t allowed to leave until then - so freedom definitely didn’t mean freedom.
Rachel had suffered unbearable heartache over the years due to the cruelty of the Master, as one by one her children were snatched away from her and sold. She thought an end to slavery would allow her to search for her children, so Master or no Master she wasn’t having her dreams taken from her any longer. Rachel could stand it no more and acted on her sudden urge to flee.
‘River Sing me Home’ shines a spotlight on the sheer cruelty and oppression of slavery. But cruel and distressing as it is, there’s beauty in the words of these unspeakable events thanks to the literary talents of Eleanor Shearer.
Imagine having to suppress hope - sometimes hope is all we have, all that keeps us going, but to suppress hope because it hurts? That’s heartbreaking. However, Rachel’s hope to be reunited with her children, takes her and the reader on quite a journey.
A powerful and moving novel inspired by those courageous and determined women who walked all over their islands to find the children who had been snatched from them.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review*
-The Last Seance (from The Hound of Death and Other Stories, also Double Sin and Other Stories)”
― Agatha Christie, The Hound of Death.
Providence plantation, Barbados.
The King has decreed an end to slavery with the new Emancipation Act of 1834 coming into effect. However, the Master of Providence has told the supposedly free slaves that they will have to work as apprentices for him for the next six years, they weren’t allowed to leave until then - so freedom definitely didn’t mean freedom.
Rachel had suffered unbearable heartache over the years due to the cruelty of the Master, as one by one her children were snatched away from her and sold. She thought an end to slavery would allow her to search for her children, so Master or no Master she wasn’t having her dreams taken from her any longer. Rachel could stand it no more and acted on her sudden urge to flee.
‘River Sing me Home’ shines a spotlight on the sheer cruelty and oppression of slavery. But cruel and distressing as it is, there’s beauty in the words of these unspeakable events thanks to the literary talents of Eleanor Shearer.
Imagine having to suppress hope - sometimes hope is all we have, all that keeps us going, but to suppress hope because it hurts? That’s heartbreaking. However, Rachel’s hope to be reunited with her children, takes her and the reader on quite a journey.
A powerful and moving novel inspired by those courageous and determined women who walked all over their islands to find the children who had been snatched from them.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review*
May 8, 2023
River Sing Me Home is a powerful novel by Eleanor Shearer about a woman born into slavery whose children are taken from her and sold to other plantation owners. Slavery is abolished but her plantation owner indicates all slaves must remain on his plantation for six years doing the same labor.
Through sheer determination and grit, she escapes from the plantation in search of her children. She travels from Barbados to British Guinea to Trinidad in extremely challenging circumstances to try to locate five of her children.
Poignant story about family.
Through sheer determination and grit, she escapes from the plantation in search of her children. She travels from Barbados to British Guinea to Trinidad in extremely challenging circumstances to try to locate five of her children.
Poignant story about family.
January 14, 2023
I was left undone by this piercing but beautifully rendered story. My heart broke so many times in the reading but the stunning prose kept stitching it back together. This will be a 2023 favorite…
February 1, 2023
River Sing Me Home is a heartbreaking but tender love story of a different kind. It's the story of a mother and her love for her children; the children who were taken from her, one by one.
It was 1834 when the slaves at the Providence plantation in Barbados heard all slaves would be freed. Rachel had been a slave for upward of forty years and it was hard to believe the decree. And they had reason to be sceptical. Rachel's escape was dogged by fear but she kept running, determined to get away to find her children. Meeting Mama B was the beginning of Rachel's good fortune and as she moved forward, through Barbados and Bridgetown, onto British Guiana and then to Trinidad, her hope wavered, her distress weighed her down, then hope pulled her up again. Would Rachel find her children - Micah, Mary Grace, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy?
Two rivers feature strongly in this novel - the Demerara in British Guiana, and the one which travelled to the east coast of Trinidad, to the sea. Also the singing and beautiful harmonising of the runaways, the singing which brought hope and a sense of peace and calm to them all. There is brutality as well, but the beauty of the novel and the words which form it, by Eleanor Shearer, make River Sing Me Home an experience not to be missed. I loved this novel (and its cover) and it's now on my best books ever list. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
It was 1834 when the slaves at the Providence plantation in Barbados heard all slaves would be freed. Rachel had been a slave for upward of forty years and it was hard to believe the decree. And they had reason to be sceptical. Rachel's escape was dogged by fear but she kept running, determined to get away to find her children. Meeting Mama B was the beginning of Rachel's good fortune and as she moved forward, through Barbados and Bridgetown, onto British Guiana and then to Trinidad, her hope wavered, her distress weighed her down, then hope pulled her up again. Would Rachel find her children - Micah, Mary Grace, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy?
Two rivers feature strongly in this novel - the Demerara in British Guiana, and the one which travelled to the east coast of Trinidad, to the sea. Also the singing and beautiful harmonising of the runaways, the singing which brought hope and a sense of peace and calm to them all. There is brutality as well, but the beauty of the novel and the words which form it, by Eleanor Shearer, make River Sing Me Home an experience not to be missed. I loved this novel (and its cover) and it's now on my best books ever list. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2023
Stunning, deeply-moving, affecting, and filled with hope! Eleanor Shearer’s debut novel is a testament to mother’s love, a redemptive story!
River Sing Me Home is a sprawling debut novel set during the 1834s that takes us to Barbados, British Guiana (now Guyana) and Trinidad and Tobago. The book opens with Rachel, an enslaved mother, running away from Providence plantation in Barbados. The Emancipation Act of 1834 was announced and declares they are no longer enslaved, but the slave master has other plans for them. Rachel decides she will never be free, unless she runs. Rachel wants to find her five children who were taken from her in the most gruesome way.
By some miracle, Rachel makes finds safety, and is taken to the capital city of Barbados to search for her children. She has no clue where they are, if they are still in Barbados but she is resolved to find all of her five children. Will she find them? Will she find them alive? Will she die trying to find them? Will they remember her? All of these questions plays out in Rachel head as she goes from Barbados, to the deep interior of British Guiana, and finally, sailing to Trinidad and Tobago. Will she find her five children?
Written with so much heart, the author did an amazing job of taking us into what is like to be a mother who had five of her children ripped away. I think what I enjoyed most was how Rachel traverse the Caribbean in search of her children. The bravery displayed all for love, really left me feeling hopeful.
In the Author’s note Shearer said her “aim in writing this novel was to bring to life a story about the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery.” I think the author walked a very fine line in making a topic that is so oppressive, hopeful, she gave us a protagonist we could cheer for, cry with and who will remain with us for a long time.
This is a 2023 Read Caribbean release, keep it on your radar!
River Sing Me Home is a sprawling debut novel set during the 1834s that takes us to Barbados, British Guiana (now Guyana) and Trinidad and Tobago. The book opens with Rachel, an enslaved mother, running away from Providence plantation in Barbados. The Emancipation Act of 1834 was announced and declares they are no longer enslaved, but the slave master has other plans for them. Rachel decides she will never be free, unless she runs. Rachel wants to find her five children who were taken from her in the most gruesome way.
By some miracle, Rachel makes finds safety, and is taken to the capital city of Barbados to search for her children. She has no clue where they are, if they are still in Barbados but she is resolved to find all of her five children. Will she find them? Will she find them alive? Will she die trying to find them? Will they remember her? All of these questions plays out in Rachel head as she goes from Barbados, to the deep interior of British Guiana, and finally, sailing to Trinidad and Tobago. Will she find her five children?
Written with so much heart, the author did an amazing job of taking us into what is like to be a mother who had five of her children ripped away. I think what I enjoyed most was how Rachel traverse the Caribbean in search of her children. The bravery displayed all for love, really left me feeling hopeful.
In the Author’s note Shearer said her “aim in writing this novel was to bring to life a story about the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery.” I think the author walked a very fine line in making a topic that is so oppressive, hopeful, she gave us a protagonist we could cheer for, cry with and who will remain with us for a long time.
This is a 2023 Read Caribbean release, keep it on your radar!
September 14, 2022
Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can’t believe it’s a debut novel. River Sing Me Home is just such a book. From the opening pages, I was thrust into Rachel’s desperate, dangerous life as a slave on the run in Barbados in the nineteenth century, and I followed her journey to find the children who were taken from her with my heart in my mouth. Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer and she brings this story of a mother’s courage to the page with compassion, tenderness and pitch-perfect prose.
March 24, 2023
The Beautiful Cover is So Significant because Each Bird Represents one of Rachel’s Children that has Flown Away and Will She be able to find those Gorgeous Birds again? Where did they Land?
This is the debut novel by Eleanor Shearer and it is achingly good. It is such a beautiful story, because it delves into the pain a woman Rachel endures since she has always been a slave living in Barbados. Slavery has ended, but was not actually put into practice. For 6 more years, slaves will have to continue to work as before and can not leave their plantation.
Rachel then decides to flee, since her five children have been sold and taken away at different points from her. She knows how dangerous it is to hope. She feels she must harden herself to survive, yet still has not lost the desire to love. It is incredibly brave of her to endure and risk looking for her children since she has no idea if each is alive or how each is doing. The journey she makes is profound. At times it is so heartbreaking and others filled with beautiful moments that really are what carry us through.
I loved this book 💖 It examines a piece of history I was not aware of, that in the Caribbean Slavery was continuing and the impact this had on families. How for generations people often did not know what happened to their children. I also loved the connection between the human world and the natural world. Those images were wonderful.
I had both the book and audio🎧 and really liked reading it this way. Some of the great scenes with singing and birds chirping were especially nice on Audio, while I liked mostly reading the book since there was so much history to absorb.
This is the debut novel by Eleanor Shearer and it is achingly good. It is such a beautiful story, because it delves into the pain a woman Rachel endures since she has always been a slave living in Barbados. Slavery has ended, but was not actually put into practice. For 6 more years, slaves will have to continue to work as before and can not leave their plantation.
Rachel then decides to flee, since her five children have been sold and taken away at different points from her. She knows how dangerous it is to hope. She feels she must harden herself to survive, yet still has not lost the desire to love. It is incredibly brave of her to endure and risk looking for her children since she has no idea if each is alive or how each is doing. The journey she makes is profound. At times it is so heartbreaking and others filled with beautiful moments that really are what carry us through.
I loved this book 💖 It examines a piece of history I was not aware of, that in the Caribbean Slavery was continuing and the impact this had on families. How for generations people often did not know what happened to their children. I also loved the connection between the human world and the natural world. Those images were wonderful.
I had both the book and audio🎧 and really liked reading it this way. Some of the great scenes with singing and birds chirping were especially nice on Audio, while I liked mostly reading the book since there was so much history to absorb.
February 5, 2023
Summary: Following the Emancipation Act or 1834, a slave owner in Barbados announces to his slaves that they are “free” but are now his indentured “apprentices”. With a desire to know what has become of her surviving children, Rachel goes on the run to try to find them. As she makes her way across several islands, she is driven by the knowledge she will never be free until she knows what has become or her children.
Thoughts: This stunning debut from Eleanor Shearer is a story of a mother’s love and the lengths she would go to find her children, be it dead or alive. Rich in Caribbean history from the shores of Barbados, to British Guiana and later Trinidad, the author brilliantly weaves the history of Rachel and her family’s separation into her current quest to find Mary Grace, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane, and Mercy.
While I’m familiar with the lengths slaveholders went to in order to keep their servants indentured post emancipation, seeing the devastation through the eyes of this family took understanding. The uprisings from those still in captivity, the mutilation and murder of others, further brought home the danger and brutality Rachel and many other slaves, including her loved ones, faced.
Based on stories passed down to her from her own relatives’ history, Shearer does a beautiful job at keeping this very complex and nuanced time in history very simple - a mother‘s desire to figure out what has become of her children. Heartbreakingly, this splitting of families is still being felt all along the Caribbean and so while the story takes place over 150 years ago, the reverberations are felt even to this day.
I listened to this one on audio and it was a very easy listen. The narration was excellent and helped to further my connection to not only the characters but to the setting. Per the author’s note, Shearer chose to maintain the core of the Caribbean dialect, while also using language that would be accessible to those outside of it. As someone who knows a tiny bit of Patois from my Jamaica husband, I really enjoyed the mix of dialects and found it a pleasure to listen to.
Read if you like:
•stories about motherhood
•caribbean history
•character driven stories
•emotional reads
•learning while reading
Thank you to Berkley Pub for my gifted advanced copy and PRH Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Thoughts: This stunning debut from Eleanor Shearer is a story of a mother’s love and the lengths she would go to find her children, be it dead or alive. Rich in Caribbean history from the shores of Barbados, to British Guiana and later Trinidad, the author brilliantly weaves the history of Rachel and her family’s separation into her current quest to find Mary Grace, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane, and Mercy.
While I’m familiar with the lengths slaveholders went to in order to keep their servants indentured post emancipation, seeing the devastation through the eyes of this family took understanding. The uprisings from those still in captivity, the mutilation and murder of others, further brought home the danger and brutality Rachel and many other slaves, including her loved ones, faced.
Based on stories passed down to her from her own relatives’ history, Shearer does a beautiful job at keeping this very complex and nuanced time in history very simple - a mother‘s desire to figure out what has become of her children. Heartbreakingly, this splitting of families is still being felt all along the Caribbean and so while the story takes place over 150 years ago, the reverberations are felt even to this day.
I listened to this one on audio and it was a very easy listen. The narration was excellent and helped to further my connection to not only the characters but to the setting. Per the author’s note, Shearer chose to maintain the core of the Caribbean dialect, while also using language that would be accessible to those outside of it. As someone who knows a tiny bit of Patois from my Jamaica husband, I really enjoyed the mix of dialects and found it a pleasure to listen to.
Read if you like:
•stories about motherhood
•caribbean history
•character driven stories
•emotional reads
•learning while reading
Thank you to Berkley Pub for my gifted advanced copy and PRH Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.
March 18, 2023
CATFISH!!! You see that beautiful cover?! Contents do NOT match, you’ve been warned!
I see I’m in the minority with this rating and I am perfectly okay with that, I stand by my decision. I tried so hard! But when it was time to pick this book up to continue I would audibly sigh, it was definitely giving assigned reading vibes. The cover captured me off break and I wanted to like this book more than I wanted my next breath, but alas, I drowned in that river. I couldn’t possibly have read the same book as the 4 and 5 star raters, somebody lying. This was not it!
When slavery was abolished, Caribbean slave owners decided that decree didn’t apply to them and told the slaves they had to “apprentice” for an additional 6 years. Rachel decides she has had enough and leaves. The story follows Rachel on her quest to find her children who had been sold years prior. The makings of a good story, but it fell flat.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, point me towards a plantation and I am right there with my ancestors ready! But this one right here, chile, it was like watching paint dry in a humid room. The storyline had potential, but when it came down to it I didn’t connect with a single character, it was super slow, and when conflict did arise the solution was rushed. But this is just my opinion, please take my copy and see for yourself… I want it out of my sight!
Read challenge #67. A book you think will be 5 stars (oh the irony…)
I see I’m in the minority with this rating and I am perfectly okay with that, I stand by my decision. I tried so hard! But when it was time to pick this book up to continue I would audibly sigh, it was definitely giving assigned reading vibes. The cover captured me off break and I wanted to like this book more than I wanted my next breath, but alas, I drowned in that river. I couldn’t possibly have read the same book as the 4 and 5 star raters, somebody lying. This was not it!
When slavery was abolished, Caribbean slave owners decided that decree didn’t apply to them and told the slaves they had to “apprentice” for an additional 6 years. Rachel decides she has had enough and leaves. The story follows Rachel on her quest to find her children who had been sold years prior. The makings of a good story, but it fell flat.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, point me towards a plantation and I am right there with my ancestors ready! But this one right here, chile, it was like watching paint dry in a humid room. The storyline had potential, but when it came down to it I didn’t connect with a single character, it was super slow, and when conflict did arise the solution was rushed. But this is just my opinion, please take my copy and see for yourself… I want it out of my sight!
Read challenge #67. A book you think will be 5 stars (oh the irony…)
February 7, 2023
This story was very good, but at times it was obvious it was written by a debut author. A sad, sad story—we follow Rachel, a slave who escapes her plantation in Barbados with a goal of finding her five children who were sold away at young ages. The book had the same sense of adventure as American Dirt without the grit, anger, and heart pounding action. I felt satisfied by the book’s ending but I was not moved to tears. Still a solid Book of the Month selection!
August 28, 2023
A stunning debut with poetic language and real characters that lock themselves in your heart. Full of emotion and sheer determination, River Sing Me Home is a fine example of the will and strength of the Black women who fought and clawed themselves and their loved one from the evil clutches of slavery. We stand on their shoulders and this book honors them all.
January 21, 2023
I must say that I was a little bit disappointed with this book as I had expected so much more from it.
The blurb drew me into a story of slavery, of a family torn apart and of a mother who was determined to find her children no matter what it took. And this is what I wanted, I wanted that passion and determination to shine through but I just didn’t find it in this story.
I found Rachel to be a strong woman, a kind and caring person and someone who has loved and lost but has found hope as well as lose, grief and rejection.
The writing of the book to me was slow and even a bit drawn out. I realise the author was try to give you the feeling and language used by these Caribbean Slaves but I found it a bit off-putting and made the story a bit patchy.
Overall the concept and story is one that needs to be told but I just wasn’t enthralled by the writing of this one. I would give it a 2 1/2 stars as I must say I did skip through some of it in order to get to the end!
River Sing Me Home
Eleanor Shearer
Hachette Australia
The blurb drew me into a story of slavery, of a family torn apart and of a mother who was determined to find her children no matter what it took. And this is what I wanted, I wanted that passion and determination to shine through but I just didn’t find it in this story.
I found Rachel to be a strong woman, a kind and caring person and someone who has loved and lost but has found hope as well as lose, grief and rejection.
The writing of the book to me was slow and even a bit drawn out. I realise the author was try to give you the feeling and language used by these Caribbean Slaves but I found it a bit off-putting and made the story a bit patchy.
Overall the concept and story is one that needs to be told but I just wasn’t enthralled by the writing of this one. I would give it a 2 1/2 stars as I must say I did skip through some of it in order to get to the end!
River Sing Me Home
Eleanor Shearer
Hachette Australia
August 24, 2023
Such a heartbreaking, raw story of a mother who is searching for her children that were taken away and sold out from under her while she was held captive as a slave. Such a heartbreaking story, but surprised me in so many moments. The main character truly was the epitome of determined and showing preserverance. Beautiful.
Read
November 24, 2023I finished the audiobook- but had a hard time getting through it- as I didn’t love the narrator. I’m going to hold off rating this one until I read the physical book.
February 17, 2023
River Sing Me Home is set in 1834 in Barbados. The day after the King of England ended slavery, the master of the Providence Plantation announces to his slaves that they were no longer his slaves. Instead of freeing them, he lets them know they are now his ‘apprentices’ and they must work for him for six more years. Rachel realizes that she will never be free so she runs.
Rachel embarks on a desperate search to find her children. Five of her children who survived childbirth were sold. Rachel is driven by the certainty that a mother cannot truly be free without knowing what has become of her children.
River Sing Me Home is a powerful story about a mother’s unwavering love and the lengths to which a mother will go in order to for her children. Like all books dealing with slavery, River Sing Me Home is hard to get through at times. The sheer brutality and cruelty that the slaves endured made me sick to my stomach. Not only that but putting myself in Rachel’s situation and imagining what it would be like to give birth to a child only to have the child immediately taken from you was beyond devastating.
But River Sing Me Home is not just about oppression and the worst of humanity, at the center of this story hope and love. The author crafted a remarkable protagonist in Rachel and her character will stay with me a long time after finishing this one. I was very surprised to learn that River Sing Me Home is Eleanor Shearer’s debut novel. Eleanor Shearer writes with such prose and breathtaking imagery that I see a very bright future in the literary world for her.
This book will not be for everyone and even though it deals with the hardest of subjects, I still will recommend it to anyone and everyone. The hard stories like River Sing Me Home, are the most important ones.
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer was published on January 31 so it is available now! A massive thanks to Berkley Pub for the gifted copy!
Rachel embarks on a desperate search to find her children. Five of her children who survived childbirth were sold. Rachel is driven by the certainty that a mother cannot truly be free without knowing what has become of her children.
River Sing Me Home is a powerful story about a mother’s unwavering love and the lengths to which a mother will go in order to for her children. Like all books dealing with slavery, River Sing Me Home is hard to get through at times. The sheer brutality and cruelty that the slaves endured made me sick to my stomach. Not only that but putting myself in Rachel’s situation and imagining what it would be like to give birth to a child only to have the child immediately taken from you was beyond devastating.
But River Sing Me Home is not just about oppression and the worst of humanity, at the center of this story hope and love. The author crafted a remarkable protagonist in Rachel and her character will stay with me a long time after finishing this one. I was very surprised to learn that River Sing Me Home is Eleanor Shearer’s debut novel. Eleanor Shearer writes with such prose and breathtaking imagery that I see a very bright future in the literary world for her.
This book will not be for everyone and even though it deals with the hardest of subjects, I still will recommend it to anyone and everyone. The hard stories like River Sing Me Home, are the most important ones.
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer was published on January 31 so it is available now! A massive thanks to Berkley Pub for the gifted copy!
October 19, 2023
**Mother and daughters book club read for October, 2023**
On August 1, 1834, Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act, outlawing the owning, buying, and selling of humans as property throughout its colonies around the world. But in the islands of the Caribbean, slave owners found a way around that--by declaring that former slaves would then become apprentices and have to work for six years more.
Rachel, working on the Providence plantation in Barbados, will have none of that and runs for freedom. Her dream is to find the five children who were taken from her and reunite with her family. It will mean walking hundreds of miles and sailing to other islands but if anyone can do it, this fierce woman can.
This is an excellent look at slavery's effect on human lives and the deep love that can drive people to do the seemingly impossible. Historical fiction at its finest, opening our eyes to little known facts and experiences.
On August 1, 1834, Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act, outlawing the owning, buying, and selling of humans as property throughout its colonies around the world. But in the islands of the Caribbean, slave owners found a way around that--by declaring that former slaves would then become apprentices and have to work for six years more.
Rachel, working on the Providence plantation in Barbados, will have none of that and runs for freedom. Her dream is to find the five children who were taken from her and reunite with her family. It will mean walking hundreds of miles and sailing to other islands but if anyone can do it, this fierce woman can.
This is an excellent look at slavery's effect on human lives and the deep love that can drive people to do the seemingly impossible. Historical fiction at its finest, opening our eyes to little known facts and experiences.
February 17, 2023
The characters were so one-dimensional - I can barely tell you one personality trait of the main character. “Rachel did this. Rachel did that.” As someone who can read 200+ pages in one sitting, I found it difficult to read more than 20 before getting bored. A great idea for a story lost on mediocre writing.
January 12, 2023
This historical novel tells a story from an important part of Caribbean history. We follow Rachel whose fight for freedom begins when the Emancipation Act comes into effect. Yet, it appears that slavery continues and Rachel's life is to continue much as it was before. However, Rachel can endure it no longer. Her escape and subsequent fight for liberty are motivated by one thing - her desire to be reunited with her lost children, separated from her by the cruelty of the slave trade.
The prose in this novel was often beautiful and this part of Caribbean history was clearly close to Shearer's heart and were movingly crafted around the themes of love and motherhood.
However, for me the plot was too linear. There were few twists and turns and the storyline lacked depth. Each moment felt a little rushed and was tackled in too superficial a way. There needed more scene setting, build up and creativity surrounding the storytelling.
Having said this the characters and subject matter did move me and I am glad to have read something clearly well researched from this period in Caribbean history.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
The prose in this novel was often beautiful and this part of Caribbean history was clearly close to Shearer's heart and were movingly crafted around the themes of love and motherhood.
However, for me the plot was too linear. There were few twists and turns and the storyline lacked depth. Each moment felt a little rushed and was tackled in too superficial a way. There needed more scene setting, build up and creativity surrounding the storytelling.
Having said this the characters and subject matter did move me and I am glad to have read something clearly well researched from this period in Caribbean history.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
April 28, 2023
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer. It took me a long time to get through this audio. It never connected for me. The story never was one i could completely immerse myself into
August 13, 2023
This is a story of a mother’s (Rachel) determination and perseverance to search for her five children that were stolen from her while she was a slave on a plantation. Rachel works on a plantation in Barbados. When the Emancipation Act of 1834 took effect everyone was crying with joy, until the master tells them they only have to work with him for six more years. Rachel decides to run and be free. Along her emotional journey she discovers one by one what has happened to her children.
Well written and well researched River Sing Me Home is based on a true story. This is heartbreaking, emotional rollercoaster that had me page flipping to see what happens. I loved Rachel and her courage and fearlessness to bring her family back together. Rachel’s journey will resonate with me for awhile. I could never be as brave as her. Unforgettable story.
4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Well written and well researched River Sing Me Home is based on a true story. This is heartbreaking, emotional rollercoaster that had me page flipping to see what happens. I loved Rachel and her courage and fearlessness to bring her family back together. Rachel’s journey will resonate with me for awhile. I could never be as brave as her. Unforgettable story.
4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
March 12, 2023
Do you belong to a book club? Which book did you pick for Book of the Month this month?
River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer
Pub Date 31 Jan 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction
Book of the Month Pick
Rating 4.25/5
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer is a stunning debut about Rachel, a slave from a Barbados plantation the day after Emancipation in 1864. After reading this epic historical fiction, I will never see this historical era the same way again.
Eleanor Shearer poignantly conveys the profound pain of enslavement and broken families as she thoughtfully writes about the meaning of freedom. Though the southeastern Caribbean sea island has a powerful and tumultuous history, it's a wonderful novel about beauty and survival. Long after the last page has been turned, River Sing Me Home will remain in your heart.
#RiverSingMeHome #EleanorShearer #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #blogtour #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audible #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b
River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer
Pub Date 31 Jan 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction
Book of the Month Pick
Rating 4.25/5
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer is a stunning debut about Rachel, a slave from a Barbados plantation the day after Emancipation in 1864. After reading this epic historical fiction, I will never see this historical era the same way again.
Eleanor Shearer poignantly conveys the profound pain of enslavement and broken families as she thoughtfully writes about the meaning of freedom. Though the southeastern Caribbean sea island has a powerful and tumultuous history, it's a wonderful novel about beauty and survival. Long after the last page has been turned, River Sing Me Home will remain in your heart.
#RiverSingMeHome #EleanorShearer #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #blogtour #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audible #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b
February 12, 2023
I liked the start but Rachel never seemed to become a real person. Her ability to find her children and the final escape felt unreal. The various fates of her children were interesting. There were bits throughout that I liked, but when I couldn’t make a connection to the characters the story fell flat for me.
July 30, 2025
The author clearly states her laudable reason for writing this book:
... to bring to life a story about the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery - a time and place that is not well known or widely understood.
Rachel is the main character - a mother of many; some sold away from her; some died of fever.
She searches for those sold across the Caribbean in 3 different countries: Barbados, British Guiana (now Guyana), and Trinidad.
This story of a mother's love and her painful search for her children is compelling.
The three different locales that it includes made it a must read for a world literature lover such as myself.
The book also became extremely meaningful because of the author's sharing in her Author's Note. TY Eleanor Shearer.
5 stars
Second Reading July 2025
The author clearly states her laudable reason for writing this book:
"...to bring to life a story about the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery – a time and place that is not well known or widely understood."
On my second reading, this statement resonated even more deeply.
Rachel, the main character, is a mother of many—some sold away from her, some lost to illness. Her journey across three countries—Barbados, British Guiana (now Guyana), and Trinidad—is not just a physical one but a spiritual pilgrimage of remembrance and reclamation.
This time, I was especially struck by the theme of motherhood as resistance. Rachel’s determination to find her children is an act of quiet rebellion against a world that sought to erase her identity and love. She doesn’t just want to survive—she wants to restore what was stolen from her. That resolve moved me deeply.
The recurring theme of “the connection between all things,” especially as expressed by Mama B, gave this novel a lyrical heartbeat. The natural world—the rivers, the trees, the wounds that become healing—added a richness I appreciated more on this reread.
I also saw more clearly how each character defines freedom differently. From Mary Grace’s desire for stability to Thomas Augustus’s life in a Maroon village, and from Cherry Jane’s reinvention to Mercy’s brave flight into motherhood—freedom is not one thing. It’s as individual as every life the novel touches.
The book remains a must-read for world literature lovers and those drawn to stories of resilience, maternal love, and historical truths. It became even more meaningful this time thanks to the depth and clarity of the author’s writing, and the insights in her Author’s Note.
Thank you, Eleanor Shearer, for giving Rachel a voice—and for giving me the gift of walking with her again.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (still five stars—and even more so)
... to bring to life a story about the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery - a time and place that is not well known or widely understood.
Rachel is the main character - a mother of many; some sold away from her; some died of fever.
She searches for those sold across the Caribbean in 3 different countries: Barbados, British Guiana (now Guyana), and Trinidad.
This story of a mother's love and her painful search for her children is compelling.
The three different locales that it includes made it a must read for a world literature lover such as myself.
The book also became extremely meaningful because of the author's sharing in her Author's Note. TY Eleanor Shearer.
5 stars
Second Reading July 2025
The author clearly states her laudable reason for writing this book:
"...to bring to life a story about the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery – a time and place that is not well known or widely understood."
On my second reading, this statement resonated even more deeply.
Rachel, the main character, is a mother of many—some sold away from her, some lost to illness. Her journey across three countries—Barbados, British Guiana (now Guyana), and Trinidad—is not just a physical one but a spiritual pilgrimage of remembrance and reclamation.
This time, I was especially struck by the theme of motherhood as resistance. Rachel’s determination to find her children is an act of quiet rebellion against a world that sought to erase her identity and love. She doesn’t just want to survive—she wants to restore what was stolen from her. That resolve moved me deeply.
The recurring theme of “the connection between all things,” especially as expressed by Mama B, gave this novel a lyrical heartbeat. The natural world—the rivers, the trees, the wounds that become healing—added a richness I appreciated more on this reread.
I also saw more clearly how each character defines freedom differently. From Mary Grace’s desire for stability to Thomas Augustus’s life in a Maroon village, and from Cherry Jane’s reinvention to Mercy’s brave flight into motherhood—freedom is not one thing. It’s as individual as every life the novel touches.
The book remains a must-read for world literature lovers and those drawn to stories of resilience, maternal love, and historical truths. It became even more meaningful this time thanks to the depth and clarity of the author’s writing, and the insights in her Author’s Note.
Thank you, Eleanor Shearer, for giving Rachel a voice—and for giving me the gift of walking with her again.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (still five stars—and even more so)
May 26, 2024
3.75 stars Thanks to BookBrowse and Berkley Books for the ARC and allowing me to read and review. Publishes January 31, 2023
Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names that have Rachel laying awake at night yearning. These are the 5 living children that were taken away from Rachel over the years as her Master sold them away.
Rachel was a slave in Barbados in the 1800's. The Emancipation Act of 1834 freed the slaves, but on her plantation slaves had to apprentice for 6 more years before they could gain their freedom. So Rachel ran. She was determined to find her missing children.
This story tells of her travels and which children she found. From Barbados to Trinidad she walked and sailed, determined. Without her children freedom meant nothing. Each child now an adult with a life of their own. Who would travel with her, who would turn their back on her and who was lost forever?
This is a debut book. Shearer did a good job of putting her story across. Enough was given to vest you in the story, to allow you to dream with the protagonist, and to understand the circumstance of the adult children. The trip that Rachel was on was almost a character in itself. Shearer tells you at the end that the story was in part built off her own families situation and their misgivings, which only adds another dimension to the novel.
Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names that have Rachel laying awake at night yearning. These are the 5 living children that were taken away from Rachel over the years as her Master sold them away.
Rachel was a slave in Barbados in the 1800's. The Emancipation Act of 1834 freed the slaves, but on her plantation slaves had to apprentice for 6 more years before they could gain their freedom. So Rachel ran. She was determined to find her missing children.
This story tells of her travels and which children she found. From Barbados to Trinidad she walked and sailed, determined. Without her children freedom meant nothing. Each child now an adult with a life of their own. Who would travel with her, who would turn their back on her and who was lost forever?
This is a debut book. Shearer did a good job of putting her story across. Enough was given to vest you in the story, to allow you to dream with the protagonist, and to understand the circumstance of the adult children. The trip that Rachel was on was almost a character in itself. Shearer tells you at the end that the story was in part built off her own families situation and their misgivings, which only adds another dimension to the novel.
June 4, 2024
Powerful story but sadly couldn’t connect to the characters.
March 15, 2023
“When they sang, we heard them. We sang with them, and welcomed this new life into a world that is cruel, but that has love in it, too, if you know where to look. This is how we are remembered. In snatches of song, in dreams, in the smile that passes between mother and child. These are the parts of us that cannot be destroyed. These are the parts of us that feed the roots, and keep them strong. The soil is fertile. Our tree grows on.”
🌴🌊🌺
Mesmerizing, profoundly touching, impactful, and full of hope for a better future. A heartbreaking story that contrasts the violence and wickedness of slavery with love and optimism.
Eleanor Shearer's stunning debut is a story of redemption and a testament to a mother's undying love. River Sing Me Home is, at its heart, a celebration of motherhood and feminine resiliency, set against the harsh backdrop of slavery in the Carribean. In the face of unimaginable cruelty, one woman's bravery is tenderly explored during her quest to reunite with her children, no matter the cost. We are drawn into protagonist Rachel's plight by the prospect of losing all she has accomplished through tireless effort, including her own freedom.
Shearer did a remarkable job of transporting us into the experience of a mother who had five of her children ripped away in this heartfelt and riveting tale. The way Rachel traversed the Caribbean in pursuit of her children is perhaps what I liked most. The lush and lyrical writing made the vivid settings and characters come alive, and I was genuinely inspired by the bravery that was shown in the name of love. Rachel's voice is presented with pin-point precision against a searing setting of mankind's cruelty to one another and nature's capacity to nurture or devastate.
River Sing Me Home has a timeless, profound, and healing sense about it. Rachel's journey is the story of countless mothers, slaves, and humanity as a whole. It was exceptionally moving, impactful, and emotive for me. It's not an easy-to-forget story, and a reminder that come what may, love will persevere.
🌴🌊🌺
Mesmerizing, profoundly touching, impactful, and full of hope for a better future. A heartbreaking story that contrasts the violence and wickedness of slavery with love and optimism.
Eleanor Shearer's stunning debut is a story of redemption and a testament to a mother's undying love. River Sing Me Home is, at its heart, a celebration of motherhood and feminine resiliency, set against the harsh backdrop of slavery in the Carribean. In the face of unimaginable cruelty, one woman's bravery is tenderly explored during her quest to reunite with her children, no matter the cost. We are drawn into protagonist Rachel's plight by the prospect of losing all she has accomplished through tireless effort, including her own freedom.
Shearer did a remarkable job of transporting us into the experience of a mother who had five of her children ripped away in this heartfelt and riveting tale. The way Rachel traversed the Caribbean in pursuit of her children is perhaps what I liked most. The lush and lyrical writing made the vivid settings and characters come alive, and I was genuinely inspired by the bravery that was shown in the name of love. Rachel's voice is presented with pin-point precision against a searing setting of mankind's cruelty to one another and nature's capacity to nurture or devastate.
River Sing Me Home has a timeless, profound, and healing sense about it. Rachel's journey is the story of countless mothers, slaves, and humanity as a whole. It was exceptionally moving, impactful, and emotive for me. It's not an easy-to-forget story, and a reminder that come what may, love will persevere.
August 18, 2024
Barbados, 1834. Na de verordening van het eind van de slavernij vlucht Rachel van de Providence-plantage om op zoek te gaan naar haar pickney, de vijf kinderen die haar zijn afgenomen en hoogstwaarschijnlijk zijn verkocht aan andere plantages. Ze kan zich nooit echt vrij voelen voordat ze hun lot kent en haar zware tocht leidt haar naar Brits-Guyana en Trinidad, door onherbergzaam gebied en ongerepte natuur, velden en bossen, over rivieren en oceanen, en gedreven door de liefde voor haar kinderen geeft ze niet op, doorstaat ze ontberingen en vraagt ze zich maar één ding af: zal ze haar geliefden allemaal weer in de armen kunnen sluiten?
Door de levendige, sfeervolle, beeldende en beschrijvende stijl van de auteur ga je met Rachel mee op reis, loop je naast haar, luister je naar haar overpeinzingen en voel je de kracht van deze moeder die bereid is om alles te doen wat nodig is om herenigd te worden met haar kinderen. Na enkele toevallige ontmoetingen wordt ze vergezeld door kleurrijke personages die ieder hun eigen, bijzondere verhaal te vertellen hebben en ze wordt op weg geholpen, luistert naar haar intuïtie en blijft sterk omdat ze niet anders kan.
Rachel wordt krachtig en dapper neergezet en gedurende het verhaal leer je steeds meer over haar levensverhaal dat je zal raken. Passages zijn extra aangrijpend zodra je dicht bij haar binnenwereld komt en emoties tastbaar zijn, terwijl gebeurtenissen op andere momenten sneller voorbijgaan en soms is de impact daarvan iets minder groot omdat je dan wat meer afstand voelt. Toch is dit vooral een erg meeslepend verhaal en je blijft de pagina’s snel omslaan omdat je wilt weten of haar gevaarlijke zoektocht zal slagen, omdat je door de mooie natuurbeschrijvingen wordt getransporteerd naar de Cariben en je gaat meeleven met de personages.
Dit indringende verhaal schuwt de fysieke gruwelen van de slavernij niet, maar focust vooral op de emotionele pijn, de gedeelde ervaringen, de verschillende wijzen waarop wordt omgegaan met opgelopen trauma’s, de verscheurdheid die is ontstaan door het uiteenrukken van families en de onzekerheid, maar altijd schittert er ook hoop, liefde en vertrouwen door de tekst heen en probeert ieder personage een vorm van vrijheid terug te vinden. Het is absoluut het lezen waard!
3.5-4⭐
Door de levendige, sfeervolle, beeldende en beschrijvende stijl van de auteur ga je met Rachel mee op reis, loop je naast haar, luister je naar haar overpeinzingen en voel je de kracht van deze moeder die bereid is om alles te doen wat nodig is om herenigd te worden met haar kinderen. Na enkele toevallige ontmoetingen wordt ze vergezeld door kleurrijke personages die ieder hun eigen, bijzondere verhaal te vertellen hebben en ze wordt op weg geholpen, luistert naar haar intuïtie en blijft sterk omdat ze niet anders kan.
Rachel wordt krachtig en dapper neergezet en gedurende het verhaal leer je steeds meer over haar levensverhaal dat je zal raken. Passages zijn extra aangrijpend zodra je dicht bij haar binnenwereld komt en emoties tastbaar zijn, terwijl gebeurtenissen op andere momenten sneller voorbijgaan en soms is de impact daarvan iets minder groot omdat je dan wat meer afstand voelt. Toch is dit vooral een erg meeslepend verhaal en je blijft de pagina’s snel omslaan omdat je wilt weten of haar gevaarlijke zoektocht zal slagen, omdat je door de mooie natuurbeschrijvingen wordt getransporteerd naar de Cariben en je gaat meeleven met de personages.
Dit indringende verhaal schuwt de fysieke gruwelen van de slavernij niet, maar focust vooral op de emotionele pijn, de gedeelde ervaringen, de verschillende wijzen waarop wordt omgegaan met opgelopen trauma’s, de verscheurdheid die is ontstaan door het uiteenrukken van families en de onzekerheid, maar altijd schittert er ook hoop, liefde en vertrouwen door de tekst heen en probeert ieder personage een vorm van vrijheid terug te vinden. Het is absoluut het lezen waard!
3.5-4⭐
December 12, 2023
Ko tikėjausi - tą ir gavau. Sodrus, literatūriškai gražus ir jautrus skaitinys. O kaip gali būti kitoks, kai kalbama apie vergovę ir bėgančia vergę, ieškančią savo prarstų vaikų? Negali. Juolab, kad autorė rašydama rėmėsi tikrais pasakojimais, o juos surinko atlikusi milžinišką darbą tyrinėdama vergovės istoriją Karibų jūros regione, kalbino vietinius gyventojus ir klausėsi jų skausmingų prisiminimų.
Barbadose, 1834 metais pasklinda džiugi žinia - naikinama vergovė. Tačiau tikroji laisvė dirbanties vergams ateis tik po 6 metų - būtent tiek jie turės atidirbti savo šeimininkams ir tik tada bus laisvi. Vergovėje Rachelė yra jau ilgai - per ją prarado penkis savo vaikus, kurie buvo išsiųsti nežinia kur. Ir nors prisiklausiusi baisių istorijų apie bėglius, ji ryžtasi bėgti. Bėgti ir susirasti savo didžiausią turtą, be kurio motiniška širdis nenurimsta.
Išties, tai ir vergovės tragedijos ir kenčiančios motinos istorija. Širdies, kuri negali prarasti vilties ir, kuri negali ramiai plakti, kol nežino kur jos vaikai istorija. Ir nors mes kalbėdami apie vergus dažnai sakome „jie kentėjo“, „juodaodžių tragedija“ - apie juos kalbame kaip apie visumą, ši knyga parodo, kad po šiuos siaubu slepiasi galyybė asmeninių istorijų ir nesuvokiamas kiekis atskirai kentėjusių, asmeninį skausmą išgyvenusių sielų. Nežinau kas gali būti baisiau nei iš mamos atimamas vaikas. Nežinojimas kur jis, bet suvokimas, kad tikrai ne ten kur saugu ir kur su juo gerai elgiamasi. Rachelė keliauja pavojingais keliais, rizikuodama ir nežinodam kur ko ieškoti, bet tiki, jog jai pavyks ir daro absoliučiai viską. Jos kelionė mus supažindina su kitais bėgliais, laisvais juodaodžiais, daug netekusiais žmonėmis. Su betarpošku savų palaikymu, tikra, labai tikra meile, vergovės paliktomis žaizdomis ir randais. Tikrai gerai parašyta knyga, o ir vertimas puikus. Tiesa, tai toli gražu nėra mano pirma skaityta knyga šia tema - skaičiau visko, nuo klasikos iki šiuolaikinių kūrinių ir Upė lyginant su kitomis būtų kažkur per vidurį. Įsimintina, skaudi, bet vietomis per užtęsta ir panuobodžiaut teko. Nedaug, bet teko.
Barbadose, 1834 metais pasklinda džiugi žinia - naikinama vergovė. Tačiau tikroji laisvė dirbanties vergams ateis tik po 6 metų - būtent tiek jie turės atidirbti savo šeimininkams ir tik tada bus laisvi. Vergovėje Rachelė yra jau ilgai - per ją prarado penkis savo vaikus, kurie buvo išsiųsti nežinia kur. Ir nors prisiklausiusi baisių istorijų apie bėglius, ji ryžtasi bėgti. Bėgti ir susirasti savo didžiausią turtą, be kurio motiniška širdis nenurimsta.
Išties, tai ir vergovės tragedijos ir kenčiančios motinos istorija. Širdies, kuri negali prarasti vilties ir, kuri negali ramiai plakti, kol nežino kur jos vaikai istorija. Ir nors mes kalbėdami apie vergus dažnai sakome „jie kentėjo“, „juodaodžių tragedija“ - apie juos kalbame kaip apie visumą, ši knyga parodo, kad po šiuos siaubu slepiasi galyybė asmeninių istorijų ir nesuvokiamas kiekis atskirai kentėjusių, asmeninį skausmą išgyvenusių sielų. Nežinau kas gali būti baisiau nei iš mamos atimamas vaikas. Nežinojimas kur jis, bet suvokimas, kad tikrai ne ten kur saugu ir kur su juo gerai elgiamasi. Rachelė keliauja pavojingais keliais, rizikuodama ir nežinodam kur ko ieškoti, bet tiki, jog jai pavyks ir daro absoliučiai viską. Jos kelionė mus supažindina su kitais bėgliais, laisvais juodaodžiais, daug netekusiais žmonėmis. Su betarpošku savų palaikymu, tikra, labai tikra meile, vergovės paliktomis žaizdomis ir randais. Tikrai gerai parašyta knyga, o ir vertimas puikus. Tiesa, tai toli gražu nėra mano pirma skaityta knyga šia tema - skaičiau visko, nuo klasikos iki šiuolaikinių kūrinių ir Upė lyginant su kitomis būtų kažkur per vidurį. Įsimintina, skaudi, bet vietomis per užtęsta ir panuobodžiaut teko. Nedaug, bet teko.
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