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Georgia #1
Sister of Mine
When two Union soldiers stumble onto a plantation in northern Georgia on a warm May day in 1864, the last thing they expect is to see the Union flag flying high—or to be greeted by a group of freed slaves and their Jewish mistress. Little do they know that this place has an unusual history.
Twelve years prior, Adelaide Mannheim—daughter of Mordecai, the only Jewish planter in the county—was given her own maid, a young slave named Rachel. The two became friends, and soon they discovered a secret: Mordecai was Rachel’s father, too.
As the country moved toward war, Adelaide and Rachel struggled to navigate their newfound sisterhood—from love and resentment to betrayal and, ultimately, forgiveness.
Now, facing these Union soldiers as General Sherman advances nearer, their bond is put to the ultimate test. Will the plantation be spared? Or will everything they’ve lived for be lost?
Revised edition: Previously published as Slave and Sister, this edition of Sister of Mine: A Novel includes editorial revisions.
482 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2014
2017 people are currently reading
3734 people want to read
About the author
Sabra Waldfogel
18 books149 followersSabra Waldfogel grew up far from the South in Minneapolis. She studied history at Harvard University and received her Ph.D. in American History from the University of Minnesota and since then, has been fascinated by the drama of slavery and freedom in the decades before and after the Civil War.
Her short story “Yemaya” appeared in the Winter 2013 Fiction Issue of Sixfold. Her first novel, Sister of Mine, published by Lake Union, was named the 2017 winner of the Audiobook Publisher's Association Audie Award for fiction. In her free time, not tired of history, she collects antiques and helps her husband sell them.
Her short story “Yemaya” appeared in the Winter 2013 Fiction Issue of Sixfold. Her first novel, Sister of Mine, published by Lake Union, was named the 2017 winner of the Audiobook Publisher's Association Audie Award for fiction. In her free time, not tired of history, she collects antiques and helps her husband sell them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 551 reviews
July 27, 2018
Slavery from the owners point of view
This book is a mess. The author has researched Jewish chattel slave owners in the US but does not seem to have studied slavery from the pov of the enslaved.
The characters don't behave in realistic ways. This feels like white guilt wrote a book.
This book is a mess. The author has researched Jewish chattel slave owners in the US but does not seem to have studied slavery from the pov of the enslaved.
The characters don't behave in realistic ways. This feels like white guilt wrote a book.
October 31, 2016
I wavered with this book, back and forth between three or four stars. Some sections grab you, pull you in and won’t let you go. Other sections are weaker – ordinary, cute or holier-than-thou. Unfortunately, the ending was for me too neat and too sweet, the result being I gave it three stars. I liked the book. I can recommend it to others. Many adore such endings.
The book covers many themes – the production and trade of cotton, the relationship between sisters of different color, Jews in the South, Jewish traditions, discrimination of Blacks, the bloody events of both the Civil War and the chaos afterwards when the Unionists won. What the book does best is make the reader feel emotional forces binding and tearing individuals, between father and daughter, daughter and mother, between sisters and between lovers. How did it feel to be black and discriminated against? Think again....how did it really feel? Can we understand this? Can we put ourselves in their shoes, but forget it, they often didn't even have shoes?! Each character is not good or bad, but both good and bad. This made them believable.
There are love scenes, some quite explicit and lengthy. Too lengthy?
I appreciated that the book concludes with an afterword documenting the history and the presence of Jews in the South during antebellum times. How many actually had slaves and how did this come to be given their own heritage of discrimination in Europe and slavery in Egypt?
Bahni Turpin narrates the audiobook. She dramatizes. In my view, when an author's words are themselves emotive further emphasis is really not needed! One easily hears who is speaking - infants, youngsters, Blacks, Whites, slaves and gentry. There are even shrill chirping birds……which I felt were too loud!
The book covers many themes – the production and trade of cotton, the relationship between sisters of different color, Jews in the South, Jewish traditions, discrimination of Blacks, the bloody events of both the Civil War and the chaos afterwards when the Unionists won. What the book does best is make the reader feel emotional forces binding and tearing individuals, between father and daughter, daughter and mother, between sisters and between lovers. How did it feel to be black and discriminated against? Think again....how did it really feel? Can we understand this? Can we put ourselves in their shoes, but forget it, they often didn't even have shoes?! Each character is not good or bad, but both good and bad. This made them believable.
There are love scenes, some quite explicit and lengthy. Too lengthy?
I appreciated that the book concludes with an afterword documenting the history and the presence of Jews in the South during antebellum times. How many actually had slaves and how did this come to be given their own heritage of discrimination in Europe and slavery in Egypt?
Bahni Turpin narrates the audiobook. She dramatizes. In my view, when an author's words are themselves emotive further emphasis is really not needed! One easily hears who is speaking - infants, youngsters, Blacks, Whites, slaves and gentry. There are even shrill chirping birds……which I felt were too loud!
April 1, 2016
Sister of Mine explores a rarely discussed part of the Antebellum South - the Jewish community, many of whom were wealthy slaveholders. Through the lives of Adelaide Mannheim and her sister Rachel who is her slave, we get an intimate look at slavery's destructiveness. Both women are severely limited by society's laws and expectations. We see the pervasive cognitive dissonance of Adelaide's friends and family who recite the Jewish prayers and remembrances of when the Jews were slaves in Egypt and when they were discriminated against in Europe and yet are able to justify the slaves they own that provide their wealth and status. Waldfogel shows a deft hand with both description and dialogue as she explores the unhealthy intimacy and inequality between masters and their slaves that create complex, painful and at times loving relationships.
Note: Book provided by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Note: Book provided by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2015
This will be one of my favorites for the year. A Goodreads friend recommended it to me. She said it was a self published book, and hadn't been advertised. The story is of 2 sisters, both daughters of the Master of a cotton plantation. One born to the mistress of the house, the other to a slave. The owners of the plantation are Jewish, and the story explores slavery in Egypt to slavery in the south. It's a beautiful tale of love and hardship, one that creates characters with depth. If you enjoyed "The Kitchen House" or "The Invention Of Wings" you will want to read this page turner! I very highly recommend it!
May 21, 2016
It's not perfect, but I'm giving it five because of how interesting I found it.
Also posted HERE .
This is an epic sort of story, one that seemed to take me a while to read, but one I’m very glad I did. Dealing with slavery and sisterhood in the lead-up and duration of the US Civil War in the mid-nineteenth century, Sister of Mine is told from the perspective of two young Southern women, one the daughter of a rich Jewish landowner in Georgia, and the other her slave (and secret half-sister).
If you’re not from the United States you might want to familiarise yourself with the basics of the war (and where the various states are positioned) before starting – if you want to get the most out of the book.
I can’t tell you if every detail of the history is correct, but there does seem to be a staggering amount of research that went into this. It’s not that it overpowers the story, but that the casual mentions of everything from foods to fashions seemed to have been carefully researched before being put on the page.
This is historical fiction, which means there’s plenty of sadness to go with the better times. There are a few points in the story where you’re going to find some of the major players (very) difficult to like, but that seemed realistic to me, and it left lots of room for them to change and grow over the years and through the war.
Nobody is perfect here, and it is all much more complex with the topic of slavery and seeing a war through the eyes of the losing side, especially as some of it is told from the perspective of people who own slaves. I thought it was really brilliant how the author managed to turn characters’ minds around, and how she found a way for them to be on both sides of the conflict – sometimes at the same time.
Mostly, this is a bittersweet sort of story. It’s not fluff that you read through in a few hours, and it was exactly what I’d been looking for after one Regency ballroom too many in my recent reads.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
Also posted HERE .
This is an epic sort of story, one that seemed to take me a while to read, but one I’m very glad I did. Dealing with slavery and sisterhood in the lead-up and duration of the US Civil War in the mid-nineteenth century, Sister of Mine is told from the perspective of two young Southern women, one the daughter of a rich Jewish landowner in Georgia, and the other her slave (and secret half-sister).
If you’re not from the United States you might want to familiarise yourself with the basics of the war (and where the various states are positioned) before starting – if you want to get the most out of the book.
I can’t tell you if every detail of the history is correct, but there does seem to be a staggering amount of research that went into this. It’s not that it overpowers the story, but that the casual mentions of everything from foods to fashions seemed to have been carefully researched before being put on the page.
This is historical fiction, which means there’s plenty of sadness to go with the better times. There are a few points in the story where you’re going to find some of the major players (very) difficult to like, but that seemed realistic to me, and it left lots of room for them to change and grow over the years and through the war.
Nobody is perfect here, and it is all much more complex with the topic of slavery and seeing a war through the eyes of the losing side, especially as some of it is told from the perspective of people who own slaves. I thought it was really brilliant how the author managed to turn characters’ minds around, and how she found a way for them to be on both sides of the conflict – sometimes at the same time.
Mostly, this is a bittersweet sort of story. It’s not fluff that you read through in a few hours, and it was exactly what I’d been looking for after one Regency ballroom too many in my recent reads.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
October 17, 2019
Read it for a book club. Didn't find it particularly interesting as I am not into softcore porn, and it was full of stereotypes. The white women were all frigid and the black women represented sexual desire. The slave women did not have love affairs with their slave owners, they were beaten and raped. This book also perpetuates the myth that black men will riot and kill all the white people, which is the basis of all white racist thinking.
April 23, 2016
***Contains spoilers***
A complex and layered story that drew me in to the point where I couldn't put the book down. What happens when emotions come in conflict with a system that rationalizes and perpetuates a cruel and inhumane practice? Can you be enslaved and yet allow yourself to love and commit in a world where you cannot call your body your own? It amazed me that a first-time author, Sabra Waldfogel could weave these strands together so well and create a story that's both moving and disturbing.
The main characters, Rachel, Henry and Adelaide are locked in a triangle. Bound by family ties and (in Rachel's case) literally bound in slavery. Rachel is enslaved and at the mercy of the owners, which include her father and sister. The memory of her mother's death haunts her and she's left to determine what the relationship could have been between her slave mother and slave-master father.
Adelaide is, in her way, bound to convention and tradition -- both the tradition of the culture and her religion. She must marry in spite of her own desires, and she's faced with a match that may lead to disaster, only to chose one that might deliver the same fate. Henry is conflicted between his own heritage and religious beliefs, and the customs of the country he now inhabits and wants to succeed in. Though Adelaide and Henry could make the choice to walk away - and risk everything that comes with rejecting religious and social mores - they do have the choice. Rachel does not. So the ties that bind depend on where one is in the hierarchy.
In a heartbreaking scene at a slave auction, slaves try to make arrangements for their own sales in order to stay with family and loved ones. This shows that the enslaved were not mute, passive victims. They were actively working to make a way out of no way, and taking charge of their survival the best they could within the constraints that imprisoned them.
Rachel's story reminded me of stories from my own family, particularly when it came to slaves making deals (or using trickery) to learn to read and write. Yet, at the same time, they had to hide their intelligence and strength lest they incurred the wrath of the slave-master. Rachel must hold her own feelings in check, and try to navigate between staying in her "place" while reserving the right to call her soul her own (even if she can't say the same for her body). It's a precarious path that could lead to death, or even madness.
The author did a great job of showing the conflict within the slaves who must stay subservient, hiding their true feelings and thoughts under the "slave mask." Their need to work to keep Henry's place going comes mostly from their desire not to be sold off. Working to keep him successful keeps their families intact, and lessens the chance they'll end up in an even worse situation.
As the story continues, each character must face various trials as their relationships are tested. Adelaide's growth comes at a price, but she is able to finally come to terms with the world as it is after the war. In fact, it just might be a world where she can finally stop being subservient to her father's bidding. Her growing acceptance of the real nature of her relationship with Henry, also frees her to connect with Rachel, woman-to-woman. This realization is put to the test when they're threatened by people who see their success (and freedom for the slaves) as a threat that can't be tolerated. Adelaide finally comes into her own and shows she is not the person we saw in the beginning. In addition, the author shows how the seeds for present-day racist resentments were sown as the various social and economic classes of whites clashed at war's end. Once the veil of order and gentility is ripped away, a new reality must be faced.
Henry's letters give startling and horrific glimpses of war, and his transition also comes with a price. Although he still maintains a bit of idealism (evidenced by his decision to live his life on his terms with the woman he really loves) it also reflects his new found awareness. However it is important to note that the people he leaves behind - slave and free - are the ones who keep things going. Thanks to them, he returns to a better situation than others who either didn't return or lost the status and riches they once had.
Rachel's transition, for me, is about her acceptance of her positions as sister, sister-in-law, lover, daughter, mother. Through it all she keeps her sense of self while navigating a landscape filled with danger. She's at the center of a knot of family ties that are also master/slave ties, tangled and almost impossible for a reader in the present day to comprehend.
The author's research is evident, and it gives the story richness that never makes it ring false. It's not an easy read, and there are questions asked that are still being answered today. This is not a sweeping saga with larger than life characters, but an intimate look at people whose fates are intertwined for better and for worse during a time in this country's history that is still resonating today. (Received a review copy.)
A complex and layered story that drew me in to the point where I couldn't put the book down. What happens when emotions come in conflict with a system that rationalizes and perpetuates a cruel and inhumane practice? Can you be enslaved and yet allow yourself to love and commit in a world where you cannot call your body your own? It amazed me that a first-time author, Sabra Waldfogel could weave these strands together so well and create a story that's both moving and disturbing.
The main characters, Rachel, Henry and Adelaide are locked in a triangle. Bound by family ties and (in Rachel's case) literally bound in slavery. Rachel is enslaved and at the mercy of the owners, which include her father and sister. The memory of her mother's death haunts her and she's left to determine what the relationship could have been between her slave mother and slave-master father.
Adelaide is, in her way, bound to convention and tradition -- both the tradition of the culture and her religion. She must marry in spite of her own desires, and she's faced with a match that may lead to disaster, only to chose one that might deliver the same fate. Henry is conflicted between his own heritage and religious beliefs, and the customs of the country he now inhabits and wants to succeed in. Though Adelaide and Henry could make the choice to walk away - and risk everything that comes with rejecting religious and social mores - they do have the choice. Rachel does not. So the ties that bind depend on where one is in the hierarchy.
In a heartbreaking scene at a slave auction, slaves try to make arrangements for their own sales in order to stay with family and loved ones. This shows that the enslaved were not mute, passive victims. They were actively working to make a way out of no way, and taking charge of their survival the best they could within the constraints that imprisoned them.
Rachel's story reminded me of stories from my own family, particularly when it came to slaves making deals (or using trickery) to learn to read and write. Yet, at the same time, they had to hide their intelligence and strength lest they incurred the wrath of the slave-master. Rachel must hold her own feelings in check, and try to navigate between staying in her "place" while reserving the right to call her soul her own (even if she can't say the same for her body). It's a precarious path that could lead to death, or even madness.
The author did a great job of showing the conflict within the slaves who must stay subservient, hiding their true feelings and thoughts under the "slave mask." Their need to work to keep Henry's place going comes mostly from their desire not to be sold off. Working to keep him successful keeps their families intact, and lessens the chance they'll end up in an even worse situation.
As the story continues, each character must face various trials as their relationships are tested. Adelaide's growth comes at a price, but she is able to finally come to terms with the world as it is after the war. In fact, it just might be a world where she can finally stop being subservient to her father's bidding. Her growing acceptance of the real nature of her relationship with Henry, also frees her to connect with Rachel, woman-to-woman. This realization is put to the test when they're threatened by people who see their success (and freedom for the slaves) as a threat that can't be tolerated. Adelaide finally comes into her own and shows she is not the person we saw in the beginning. In addition, the author shows how the seeds for present-day racist resentments were sown as the various social and economic classes of whites clashed at war's end. Once the veil of order and gentility is ripped away, a new reality must be faced.
Henry's letters give startling and horrific glimpses of war, and his transition also comes with a price. Although he still maintains a bit of idealism (evidenced by his decision to live his life on his terms with the woman he really loves) it also reflects his new found awareness. However it is important to note that the people he leaves behind - slave and free - are the ones who keep things going. Thanks to them, he returns to a better situation than others who either didn't return or lost the status and riches they once had.
Rachel's transition, for me, is about her acceptance of her positions as sister, sister-in-law, lover, daughter, mother. Through it all she keeps her sense of self while navigating a landscape filled with danger. She's at the center of a knot of family ties that are also master/slave ties, tangled and almost impossible for a reader in the present day to comprehend.
The author's research is evident, and it gives the story richness that never makes it ring false. It's not an easy read, and there are questions asked that are still being answered today. This is not a sweeping saga with larger than life characters, but an intimate look at people whose fates are intertwined for better and for worse during a time in this country's history that is still resonating today. (Received a review copy.)
May 5, 2017
Listened to the audio book. I feel this is one of those times when the audio book was better. The narrator was one of the best that I've heard.
May 24, 2017
The first half of this book was great. It really captured the complexity of the South during slavery and the relationships between slaves, mixed slaves, and their white masters. However, then the white mistress's (Adelaide) half black sister (Rachel) "falls in love" with her master and starts a relationship with him. The idea that she was actually in love with him and allowed the relationship to go as it did seemed so against her earlier character. Then the fact that the sisters were able to come to a positive understanding about their situation while the master was away at war seemed so unlikely and so rapid that I just couldn't believe it.
November 3, 2016
Well written
The story pulled me along until the two sisters end up with the same man. Then it was strange...I also didnt think so much sexual details was necessary for the story. Would have been better without it.
The story pulled me along until the two sisters end up with the same man. Then it was strange...I also didnt think so much sexual details was necessary for the story. Would have been better without it.
July 4, 2016
My thoughts ~
Daughter of a Jewish cotton planter, Adelaide develops a friendship with her young personal maid, Rachel. Mordecai Mannheim fathered the half sisters born to different mothers, one Jewish, the other a black slave. The girls became friends, and Adelaide taught Rachel how to read and do numbers. Forbidden to slaves, Rachel's reading and numbers became her advantage as time passed.
The Civil War is well researched. Varied, but believable characters make up the substance of this book. Life in the mid-1800s is so well delineated that through reading this book, details were realistic and authentic. Civil War history is one of my favorite topics, and this book satisfied my interest on numerous levels.
Relationships became tempestuous and intense as forbidden activities develop between main characters. Although I found the book to be a bit slow at times, it is intriguing, passionate and complex. If you love Civil War tales, this one is a very detailed and satisfying read.
Warning: Contains explicit intimate scenes.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads contest in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
Daughter of a Jewish cotton planter, Adelaide develops a friendship with her young personal maid, Rachel. Mordecai Mannheim fathered the half sisters born to different mothers, one Jewish, the other a black slave. The girls became friends, and Adelaide taught Rachel how to read and do numbers. Forbidden to slaves, Rachel's reading and numbers became her advantage as time passed.
The Civil War is well researched. Varied, but believable characters make up the substance of this book. Life in the mid-1800s is so well delineated that through reading this book, details were realistic and authentic. Civil War history is one of my favorite topics, and this book satisfied my interest on numerous levels.
Relationships became tempestuous and intense as forbidden activities develop between main characters. Although I found the book to be a bit slow at times, it is intriguing, passionate and complex. If you love Civil War tales, this one is a very detailed and satisfying read.
Warning: Contains explicit intimate scenes.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads contest in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
April 20, 2015
I'll admit the title of this book turned me off. Just felt like it was going to be unrealistic fluff.( BYW, I enjoy a fluffy book when I'm in the mood.). However a Goodreads friend, Carole, gave it very good reviews and we share many books in common. So, I decided to give it a try.
It is a very well researched story presented in a rather "lite" manner. That fact alone will give it positive reviews. Reminds me of what I used to do as a teacher when presenting certain subject matter to my students. The gist of the story is that Jewish slave owners, who were slaves themselves at one time, now owned slaves of their own. Many of these slave owners slid seamlessly into their new roles as "masters", so glad to be on the "other end", while others endured many inner conflicts about slave ownership.
I've read so many books about the horrors of slavery, it was difficult for me to come to grips with some of the incidents in this story. In honesty, though, I haven't experienced many books where the relationships between slaves and slave owners were tolerable. While reading I reminded myself that like all tragic events in our history, there were decent heroic people, who spoke out against evil, with their voices and their actions.
All in all, a good engaging read.
It is a very well researched story presented in a rather "lite" manner. That fact alone will give it positive reviews. Reminds me of what I used to do as a teacher when presenting certain subject matter to my students. The gist of the story is that Jewish slave owners, who were slaves themselves at one time, now owned slaves of their own. Many of these slave owners slid seamlessly into their new roles as "masters", so glad to be on the "other end", while others endured many inner conflicts about slave ownership.
I've read so many books about the horrors of slavery, it was difficult for me to come to grips with some of the incidents in this story. In honesty, though, I haven't experienced many books where the relationships between slaves and slave owners were tolerable. While reading I reminded myself that like all tragic events in our history, there were decent heroic people, who spoke out against evil, with their voices and their actions.
All in all, a good engaging read.
March 14, 2017
*SOME SPOILERS* I will start this review by saying that I don't normally leave reviews like this. I generally try to find the positive in everything, and dont complain much but felt I had to give this book my honest written review because my frustrations about certain things were strong throughout the entire audiobook. I apologize in advance for anyone who loved this book and may disagree with my review. I also must say that I love the narrator of the Audio, Bahni Turpin and the following review has nothing to do with her ability as narrator, it was superb and enthralling as usual and each character had their own voice so it was easy to track who was speaking, My problems were with the characters themselves. Having said that, my decision to listen to Sister of Mine was based upon her being the narrator, my historical fiction obsession, as well as the enticing blurb. I heard Bahni's voice 1st on Audible's The Help and then The Yellow Crocus and loved both and I was on an African American theme at the time, (in full force lol) that started with Someone Knows My Name (aka The Book of Negroes in Canada) by Laurence Hill, reading others as well as the aforementioned titles, as well as listened to Cane River. So, while looking through the Kindle Unlimited selections on the subject I was thrilled to see Bahni was the narrator for Sister of Mine and the Audiobook was now included in my Unlimited subscription to listen to on the Audible app and for FREE!, naturally I was psyched. I listened to Yellow Crocus first ( which she also narrates) and that book was excellent and very well written and had my emotions all over the place. Bahni's voice was captivating (you can check out my review for Yellow Crocus on the book review page). Maybe Having "read"/listened to the above books first my expectations for Sister of Mine was probably unfairly high. In sticking with African American theme for February's African American literature month wanted to learn more or about this period from their point of view. Having said that, I was disappointed. Bahni's superb narration couldn't rescue my poor experience, I found myself struggling through this one and shaking my head throughout. My main problem wasn't so much with the story itself, it was ok, sometimes, not always plausible or genuine, I became repeatedly frustrated with the most character's development, mostly felt unnatural and plot driven. Their personalities would be presented and then altered to suit the narrative and switched so much I had a hard time believing them capable of such words or actions and it got worse as the book progressed and even certain "Plot twists" were unbelievable and unfolded in unrealistic ways, some even unnecessary to the story itself. I stumbled along not really understanding or feeling for any of them at all. I understand people change and circumstances can mold a persons character, I also read a lot of literary fiction, but these characters personalites would change only for that particular moment, as if forcing a the wrong puzzle piece to fit and leaving me feeling like what just happened, did she really just say that. A quuck example being Marse Manheim going from the doting loving Jewish father who lived in the south and was sometimes religious others slack in sticking to Jewish traditions, mostly good to his slaves protecting them from his bitter wife to being the "villian'a greedy despot who only thinks about money going so far that he would knowingly throw his own beloved daughter into a marriage of debt owed to him, and continue to screw over his son in law knowing it's also his daughters livelihood at stake. Really, and Rachel reactions and personality fluctuations and her sister starting out as the rebel who thought of Rachel as equal teaching her to read then mostly pulling tantrums and sounding self entitled.. it was not what I was expecting and maybe if I hadn't read Yellow Crocus first, my expectations and review may have been different. but I still was frustrated with all the characters actions and personalities being molded to fit the story instead of the story's progression and events ultimately changing and molding them, producing personal growth. It was a good premise and setting for the story but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Others may disagree and may have enjoyed the story. I'm rather disappointed to say I didn't enjoy it at all and only pressed on in hope the story would get better, my love for Bahni Turpin's voice, and sheer stubbornness to finish something I started. If you plan to read this do so before any other books based on this period in history. There are a lot better books out there on the subject in my opinion. I gave it 3stars because I altogether didn't hate it but also didn't love it. 1 star for the narrator, 1 because some parts of the story were ok even if not altogether realistic or mesh well, and 1 more because it fits in the it was ok for me category. It doesn't belong in the same category as the books I absolutely loved with 4 stars or the rarely given 5 stars that I save for and give to books that not only were well written but that will stay with me long after I've finished and will never forget and most likely revisit.
November 4, 2014
I was prepared to go into this book because the American Civil War is something that interests me greatly. However, I wasn't entirely prepared.
Myself, I'd be considered a Yankee, since I was born on the North side of the Mason-Dixon line. I may live in the south now, but at heart, I'm a yankee. I'm also bi-racial, so I know that I'd have either been picking cotton or I'd have been a house slave, like Rachel. Rachel is a slave but she is also the master of the house's daughter. Her sister, Adelaide, is the Mannheim's only child and is spoiled, pampered and is a southern belle though she is loathe to be one. She learns quickly that even though she's white, her father is looking to marry her off to someone for his own advantage. She is little more than a pawn and she sees that she is being sold as well.
When Adelaide finally marries a neighboring planter, Henry Kaltenbach, she has everything that Rachel has been denied. It's a challenge for Adelaide; she is used to a house full of servants to do her bidding. With a skeleton crew, so to speak, Adelaide is forced to learn how to become mistress of her own house, thus leaving Rachel and another slave, Minnie, to run the house themselves, whilst the rest are out in the fields picking cotton. She is also not used to Henry's being so kind to the slaves. Prior to their marriage, he even sat at the same table and would eat with them. Things begin to change once Adelaide's husband falls in love with Rachel. The tension is strong between the sisters...will they be able to patch the wound between them? Will they lose the man that they love in the war? What will happen to the slaves once the Emancipation Proclamation is announced? There is a great deal on the line...and no matter the outcome, their lives will be forever altered.
The book is full of strong characters, some likable, some not, but you'll be captivated from the first chapter to the last. I read it in one day (again, I'm a fast reader) but I took time to write my review as I wanted to fully process what I had read. It isn't to be taken lightly and I suggest that you do take your time in taking it all in. This book was surprising because not only did it speak of slavery, the war, but the family was Jewish. It was mentioned how the Jews were once slaves in Egypt and now, here they were in Georgia and were slaveholders. It was really thought provoking and I found myself quite fascinated. The touch of Jewish traditions and heritage was a fascinating twist on what I thought would be a somewhat straight forward Civil War-era book.
My fedora is off to Ms. Waldfogel. I enjoyed this more than I can say and I look forward to seeing her next novel as well.
Myself, I'd be considered a Yankee, since I was born on the North side of the Mason-Dixon line. I may live in the south now, but at heart, I'm a yankee. I'm also bi-racial, so I know that I'd have either been picking cotton or I'd have been a house slave, like Rachel. Rachel is a slave but she is also the master of the house's daughter. Her sister, Adelaide, is the Mannheim's only child and is spoiled, pampered and is a southern belle though she is loathe to be one. She learns quickly that even though she's white, her father is looking to marry her off to someone for his own advantage. She is little more than a pawn and she sees that she is being sold as well.
When Adelaide finally marries a neighboring planter, Henry Kaltenbach, she has everything that Rachel has been denied. It's a challenge for Adelaide; she is used to a house full of servants to do her bidding. With a skeleton crew, so to speak, Adelaide is forced to learn how to become mistress of her own house, thus leaving Rachel and another slave, Minnie, to run the house themselves, whilst the rest are out in the fields picking cotton. She is also not used to Henry's being so kind to the slaves. Prior to their marriage, he even sat at the same table and would eat with them. Things begin to change once Adelaide's husband falls in love with Rachel. The tension is strong between the sisters...will they be able to patch the wound between them? Will they lose the man that they love in the war? What will happen to the slaves once the Emancipation Proclamation is announced? There is a great deal on the line...and no matter the outcome, their lives will be forever altered.
The book is full of strong characters, some likable, some not, but you'll be captivated from the first chapter to the last. I read it in one day (again, I'm a fast reader) but I took time to write my review as I wanted to fully process what I had read. It isn't to be taken lightly and I suggest that you do take your time in taking it all in. This book was surprising because not only did it speak of slavery, the war, but the family was Jewish. It was mentioned how the Jews were once slaves in Egypt and now, here they were in Georgia and were slaveholders. It was really thought provoking and I found myself quite fascinated. The touch of Jewish traditions and heritage was a fascinating twist on what I thought would be a somewhat straight forward Civil War-era book.
My fedora is off to Ms. Waldfogel. I enjoyed this more than I can say and I look forward to seeing her next novel as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2014
I was interested in the Jewish aspect of this novel and received a free copy of the e-book through the Slave and Sister blog tour.
It’s important to realize that slavery was part of ancient Jewish history. The Biblical patriarchs owned slaves. Abraham had a child with the slave Hagar who was Ishmael, the ancestor of the Arab peoples. Just like the Mannheims, the household of the patriarch Abraham contained Isaac, his heir who was the son of his wife, and Ishmael, the son of a slave, growing up side by side.
So the abolitionism of Adelaide's husband, Henry Kaltenbach, was not Biblically based. It was an ethical conviction rooted in his profound sense of human equality. In Germany, he had been a revolutionary, and he brought this background to the New World. He was actually quite an extraordinary man, but he never seemed to realize it. I admired both his principles and his innate humility. He was a decent human being in a society where cruelty and injustice abounded. In Yiddish, the word for decent human being is mensch. Henry Kaltenbach was a true mensch.
Rachel also stands out as a character. If the characters in this novel were compared to those in Gone With The Wind, we would find that Rachel has no parallel in Margaret Mitchell’s classic masterpiece. Mitchell was limited by her values and perceptions. She couldn’t have imagined a literate slave with a powerful intellect, and a pragmatic understanding of the business of running a plantation. Yet I should also point out, that in the period when GWTW was published, few would have believed that a character like Rachel could have existed even if Margaret Mitchell had been capable of imagining her. I was born nearly twenty years after the publication of GWTW. I consider Rachel a credible protagonist due to what I know of African American history, and my belief in racial equality.
In conclusion, the characters and the dramatization of the novel’s themes through its compelling plot makes Slave and Sister a novel that I recommend to readers who like to see unusual perspectives in historical fiction.
For the blog version of this review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
It’s important to realize that slavery was part of ancient Jewish history. The Biblical patriarchs owned slaves. Abraham had a child with the slave Hagar who was Ishmael, the ancestor of the Arab peoples. Just like the Mannheims, the household of the patriarch Abraham contained Isaac, his heir who was the son of his wife, and Ishmael, the son of a slave, growing up side by side.
So the abolitionism of Adelaide's husband, Henry Kaltenbach, was not Biblically based. It was an ethical conviction rooted in his profound sense of human equality. In Germany, he had been a revolutionary, and he brought this background to the New World. He was actually quite an extraordinary man, but he never seemed to realize it. I admired both his principles and his innate humility. He was a decent human being in a society where cruelty and injustice abounded. In Yiddish, the word for decent human being is mensch. Henry Kaltenbach was a true mensch.
Rachel also stands out as a character. If the characters in this novel were compared to those in Gone With The Wind, we would find that Rachel has no parallel in Margaret Mitchell’s classic masterpiece. Mitchell was limited by her values and perceptions. She couldn’t have imagined a literate slave with a powerful intellect, and a pragmatic understanding of the business of running a plantation. Yet I should also point out, that in the period when GWTW was published, few would have believed that a character like Rachel could have existed even if Margaret Mitchell had been capable of imagining her. I was born nearly twenty years after the publication of GWTW. I consider Rachel a credible protagonist due to what I know of African American history, and my belief in racial equality.
In conclusion, the characters and the dramatization of the novel’s themes through its compelling plot makes Slave and Sister a novel that I recommend to readers who like to see unusual perspectives in historical fiction.
For the blog version of this review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
June 20, 2018
This turned out to be a very interesting love triangle between a slave, her sister and her master. This book had history and romance with a splash of 50 shades of grey. what made this story unique is that I usually read about Christians owning slaves but this time around the author focused on a Jewish family that owned slaves. I really appreciate when the author's research shows in the writing. My only flaw with this story was that some parts were too wordy. Its a big book that could have been shortened by at least 75 pages.
November 4, 2014
I loved every word of this novel. Characters so well developed and the story so real that I almost felt that I was there, experiencing their pain, anger and sorrow. I would love to see this novel made into a movie. The way the author writes, I could almost feel the heat, the breeze, and see the cotton fields, and the slaves working until they were so weary they could barely fall asleep. I can't wait to read more from this author.
March 13, 2017
This book was great! The narrator did a wonderful job reading this story. I hated for the story to end.
August 18, 2018
This is an excellent and well researched historical novel. Made all the more interesting because I was unaware that there were planters of the Jewish faith in the antebellum south. Adelaide is the spoiled and pampered daughter of the richest planter in the county. Rachel, a kitchen slave, is gifted to Adelaide and the girls form a bond. Eventually they realize that they share the same father. Sisters often have complex relationships. Adelaide and Rachel’s relationship, slave and mistress, rivals and allies, is profoundly explored in this powerful novel. When Adelaide marries a man she does not love, the relationship between her and Rachel becomes even more difficult. As the Civil War looms the sisters experience betrayal, distrust, and bitterness.
The war brings a different set of problems and while Rachel has always been the stronger of the two, Adelaide is forced to grow up and acknowledge some grim truths about herself, her father and her marriage.
I really could not put the book down. This is one that will stay with me for a while. If you like reading books about this time period, I urge you to get a copy of Sister of Mine. I’m sure you will enjoy this reading as much as I have.
The war brings a different set of problems and while Rachel has always been the stronger of the two, Adelaide is forced to grow up and acknowledge some grim truths about herself, her father and her marriage.
I really could not put the book down. This is one that will stay with me for a while. If you like reading books about this time period, I urge you to get a copy of Sister of Mine. I’m sure you will enjoy this reading as much as I have.
June 8, 2017
**Some Spoilers**I like the story and the characters drew me in. I hated each of the main characters at different points in the story. Of course you hate the slave owners for their deep rooted evil, I was surprised to find myself angry at Rachel and Henry for their betrayal. It struck me as laughable that they were angry at Adeline for being upset about their affair. These were all good in the book, you want to feel emotions good or bad when reading because it means you are invested in the story. I would have given the book 4.5 stars if it had not been for the ending. MAJOR SPOILER...
Rachel sees yet another hungry soldier plodding up the driveway and says it another mouth to feed and then stops short because she recognizes the gait of his walk despite his limp then takes off running to him....it's Ashley, OOPS I mean Henry. (Totally stolen from Gone With the Wind). I realize historical books tend to be similar due to some facts of the time period but that particular scene was just too exact for my taste. Sadly this would have been a great book if it would not have been for that plagiarism at the end.
Rachel sees yet another hungry soldier plodding up the driveway and says it another mouth to feed and then stops short because she recognizes the gait of his walk despite his limp then takes off running to him....it's Ashley, OOPS I mean Henry. (Totally stolen from Gone With the Wind). I realize historical books tend to be similar due to some facts of the time period but that particular scene was just too exact for my taste. Sadly this would have been a great book if it would not have been for that plagiarism at the end.
April 27, 2016
I read a lot of historical fiction, and this book popped up in my "recommended for you" section. I'm not really one for romance novels that take place some time in the past and then is categorized as historical fiction. I like books that are heavier on the history. I would categorize this book as more of a romance than historical. More upsetting to me was how the author romanticized the relationship between master and slave. It made me feel queasy.
April 24, 2016
Sister of Mine is a fabulous debut. To my honest, I was thinking that this was going to be yet another pre Civil War era novel that will put me to sleep. I was in for quite a surprise. I enjoyed quite a bit and couldn't put the book down.
I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
5 plus stars.
I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
5 plus stars.
March 19, 2016
Points for great story line, characters, and historical accuracy. It was good until it got to some R-rated scenes and because of that I decided to stop reading it. I only read about ten percent.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
October 3, 2018
This book gave me much emotion. Given a time when lying and cheating is constantly in our faces, this book didn’t feel like it was written for a time period so long ago. I focused on the relationship of the two sisters to get through it. Loved the ending, the steamy scene was quite steamy, and the characters, I could easily visualize them.
At times I thought the book was a bit wordy and found myself skipping over some of the descriptions of certain landmarks. Overall I thought the book was good.
At times I thought the book was a bit wordy and found myself skipping over some of the descriptions of certain landmarks. Overall I thought the book was good.
April 16, 2020
A damning indictment of the evil of slavery, this has a good and original storyline. However, the total goodness of the main male character was not that easy to believe in. I also wondered how his relationship with the woman he loved would have really turned out in those days. The author clearly has done some terrific research, though I think the book was too long in parts. I read it shortly after reading Yellow Crocus and whilst that had a simpler narrative I found it more compelling.
August 16, 2017
It's not perfect, but I loved the story and characters and didn't want to put it down!
March 29, 2016
I received Sister of Mine from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a historical fiction of the pre civil war and civil war era. It is about a Jewish family, the Mannheims of Cassville, Georgia. Mordechai Mannheim is owner of a cotton plantation and slave owner. He is a ruthless man, manipulating those around him, including his daughter, son in law for his own best interest. After his daughter, Adelaide breaks her engagement to a suitor, he literally forces her to marry Henry, a Jewish German immigrant. He lends money to Henry for his own plantation, thus keeping Henry in his debt for a long time. This is a loveless marriage, frustrating to both husband and wife. "Sisters" are Adelaide and the slave Rachel given to her on her 12th birthday. It turns out that Rachel is also Mordechai's daughter from a relationship with a slave who later died in childbirth. Adelaide's and Rachel's relationship is a roller coaster drive of ups and down, riddled with jealousy, hate, sometimes love, compassion, and friendship. Adelaide teaches Rachel to read and write, that is forbidden to slaves. Rachel has a yearning to learn and has a very good sense of figures. The book explores the sharp contrast of the family celebrating Passover, when the Jews of Egypt were freed from slavery, yet owning slaves in their own time. The characters are well developed, the reader feels with them. Henry is a hard worker, trying everything in his power to make his marriage and plantation a success, while deep down he is against slavery. In spite of his efforts, his marriage doesn't work out and when he is forced to enter the war on the Confederate side, (again manipulated by his father in law), he has to leave the plantation in other hands. The reader gets a glimpse of the horror of the war through Henry's letters to Rachel. I enjoyed this book very much and felt strongly with some of the characters, especially Rachel. Some of the other characters, Charlie, Minnie to mention just a few also drew my sympathy. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Thank you NetGalley , Lake Union Publishing and the author, Sabra Waldfogel for giving me the opportunity to preview this book.
This is a historical fiction of the pre civil war and civil war era. It is about a Jewish family, the Mannheims of Cassville, Georgia. Mordechai Mannheim is owner of a cotton plantation and slave owner. He is a ruthless man, manipulating those around him, including his daughter, son in law for his own best interest. After his daughter, Adelaide breaks her engagement to a suitor, he literally forces her to marry Henry, a Jewish German immigrant. He lends money to Henry for his own plantation, thus keeping Henry in his debt for a long time. This is a loveless marriage, frustrating to both husband and wife. "Sisters" are Adelaide and the slave Rachel given to her on her 12th birthday. It turns out that Rachel is also Mordechai's daughter from a relationship with a slave who later died in childbirth. Adelaide's and Rachel's relationship is a roller coaster drive of ups and down, riddled with jealousy, hate, sometimes love, compassion, and friendship. Adelaide teaches Rachel to read and write, that is forbidden to slaves. Rachel has a yearning to learn and has a very good sense of figures. The book explores the sharp contrast of the family celebrating Passover, when the Jews of Egypt were freed from slavery, yet owning slaves in their own time. The characters are well developed, the reader feels with them. Henry is a hard worker, trying everything in his power to make his marriage and plantation a success, while deep down he is against slavery. In spite of his efforts, his marriage doesn't work out and when he is forced to enter the war on the Confederate side, (again manipulated by his father in law), he has to leave the plantation in other hands. The reader gets a glimpse of the horror of the war through Henry's letters to Rachel. I enjoyed this book very much and felt strongly with some of the characters, especially Rachel. Some of the other characters, Charlie, Minnie to mention just a few also drew my sympathy. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Thank you NetGalley , Lake Union Publishing and the author, Sabra Waldfogel for giving me the opportunity to preview this book.
December 26, 2019
The dissonance of owning your half-sister as your slave and the complexities in general of sibling relationships are explored in this sweeping, ambitious Civil War-era novel. Formerly entitled Slave and Sister in its self-published edition (2014), it has been re-edited and re-released.
Adelaide is the daughter of German immigrant Mordecai Mannheim, a successful Jewish cotton plantation owner in a small northern Georgia town. The privileged Adelaide’s primary role in life is to marry well and within her faith. One of the kitchen slaves, Rachel, is gifted to Adelaide as her personal housemaid. Awareness eventually dawns on the women that they share a father; a fact that has never been acknowledged. When Adelaide refuses to marry a lecherous man from Savannah, one hand-picked by her father, she and her mother are cast out of Savannah society. Ultimately, Adelaide rebounds, marrying the only other Jewish man in town, Henry, who strikes a business deal with Mordecai. Henry and Adelaide have a loveless marriage, and Adelaide fears that her husband will fall in love with her slave, just like her father did years ago.
Not only does the story provide a fascinating historical perspective, but doing so in part from the eyes of Jewish characters adds an intriguing dimension. The transformation and growth of the women, as well as the complicated intricacies of their relationship, forms the backbone of this well-researched novel. Although she is imperfect, having been marred by hefty emotional baggage and her lot in life, the strong-willed Rachel is one of the most human, resourceful and engaging characters in recent literature. In creating these tenacious female characters, the author turns the roles of women on its head. Despite their contentious relationship, replete with blinding jealousy and residual pain, but bound by propriety and love, the two women unite, against all odds, risking their own personal safety, to fight for what is right.
Adelaide is the daughter of German immigrant Mordecai Mannheim, a successful Jewish cotton plantation owner in a small northern Georgia town. The privileged Adelaide’s primary role in life is to marry well and within her faith. One of the kitchen slaves, Rachel, is gifted to Adelaide as her personal housemaid. Awareness eventually dawns on the women that they share a father; a fact that has never been acknowledged. When Adelaide refuses to marry a lecherous man from Savannah, one hand-picked by her father, she and her mother are cast out of Savannah society. Ultimately, Adelaide rebounds, marrying the only other Jewish man in town, Henry, who strikes a business deal with Mordecai. Henry and Adelaide have a loveless marriage, and Adelaide fears that her husband will fall in love with her slave, just like her father did years ago.
Not only does the story provide a fascinating historical perspective, but doing so in part from the eyes of Jewish characters adds an intriguing dimension. The transformation and growth of the women, as well as the complicated intricacies of their relationship, forms the backbone of this well-researched novel. Although she is imperfect, having been marred by hefty emotional baggage and her lot in life, the strong-willed Rachel is one of the most human, resourceful and engaging characters in recent literature. In creating these tenacious female characters, the author turns the roles of women on its head. Despite their contentious relationship, replete with blinding jealousy and residual pain, but bound by propriety and love, the two women unite, against all odds, risking their own personal safety, to fight for what is right.
March 25, 2016
We don’t always think of Jews as being slave holders in the South but if a planter had cotton they couldn’t do it without slaves. As the only Jewish planter and thus slave owner in Georgia, Mordecai Mannheim had a lot to protect. Among these things, his daughter Adelaide.
For her birthday as a child, Adelaide was given Rachel, a slave. The two grew up together, Adelaide taught Rachel to read and write, they became friends and confidants. But Rachel must always be conscious of her place. When a grown Adelaide is paired with one of the few Jewish suitors in the state, it is because of Rachel’s treatment by him that Adelaide breaks off the engagement and this breaking of the engagement is a scandal and a mark on Adelaide’s life for years.
When Mordecai discovers Henry Kaltenbach, a dry goods merchant, he brings him home and sets him down in front of Adelaide. Both Adelaide and Henry know what is meant by this introduction and they comply and marry.
Henry wants to make his fortune as a cotton planter and enlists the aide of Adelaide's father. But Henry also grapples constantly with the fact the Jews were held slave in Egypt and here he is, a slave owner himself, for the only purpose of making his fortune. He is a kind, fair, gentle man and this torments him.
When the Civil War comes to the family, there are real choices to be made, family secrets revealed, life decisions to be made. And when deep inside the war a company of Union soldiers happens on the Georgia plantation to find a Union flag flying from the roof, the story all comes together.
There are thousands of books about the Civil War and finding something different can be difficult but this author did bring things I didn’t think of and wrapped her story around them. It was a refreshing take.
For her birthday as a child, Adelaide was given Rachel, a slave. The two grew up together, Adelaide taught Rachel to read and write, they became friends and confidants. But Rachel must always be conscious of her place. When a grown Adelaide is paired with one of the few Jewish suitors in the state, it is because of Rachel’s treatment by him that Adelaide breaks off the engagement and this breaking of the engagement is a scandal and a mark on Adelaide’s life for years.
When Mordecai discovers Henry Kaltenbach, a dry goods merchant, he brings him home and sets him down in front of Adelaide. Both Adelaide and Henry know what is meant by this introduction and they comply and marry.
Henry wants to make his fortune as a cotton planter and enlists the aide of Adelaide's father. But Henry also grapples constantly with the fact the Jews were held slave in Egypt and here he is, a slave owner himself, for the only purpose of making his fortune. He is a kind, fair, gentle man and this torments him.
When the Civil War comes to the family, there are real choices to be made, family secrets revealed, life decisions to be made. And when deep inside the war a company of Union soldiers happens on the Georgia plantation to find a Union flag flying from the roof, the story all comes together.
There are thousands of books about the Civil War and finding something different can be difficult but this author did bring things I didn’t think of and wrapped her story around them. It was a refreshing take.
October 2, 2018
Sister of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel is an interesting concept which is done somewhat unevenly. It is a story of two sisters, from antebellum years to the resolution of the Civil War. One sister, Adelaide Mannheim, is the daughter of a successful Jewish plantation owner and cotton dealer and the other sister,Rachel, is a slave and Adelaide's maid.
I think the concept is interesting and the author has done her homework in research. Woldfogel holds a Doctorate in American History. She has clearly explored the Civil War and plantation society. Woldfogel exhibits a knowledge of Jewish history and has examined their role both as plantation owners and merchants in Southern society.
What I wasn't totally satisfied with is some of the storyline, the consistency of the characters, the addition of bodice ripper scenes in a book which doesn't cry out for them and her overuse of the word ain't.
Overall I think it is a worthy read and the sequel to it, Let Me Fly has been recently released and I will most likely read it.
I think the concept is interesting and the author has done her homework in research. Woldfogel holds a Doctorate in American History. She has clearly explored the Civil War and plantation society. Woldfogel exhibits a knowledge of Jewish history and has examined their role both as plantation owners and merchants in Southern society.
What I wasn't totally satisfied with is some of the storyline, the consistency of the characters, the addition of bodice ripper scenes in a book which doesn't cry out for them and her overuse of the word ain't.
Overall I think it is a worthy read and the sequel to it, Let Me Fly has been recently released and I will most likely read it.
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