Gullah Tears: The Enslaved Souls of Charleston

by Josie Olsvig

In the Deep South of antebellum Charleston, enslaved Gullah woman Hentie survives the day-to-day sufferings brought on by her cruel master and the white planter society that controls the institution of slavery. From Hentie's abduction and confinement on a slaver ship, we follow her journey of pain and despair as she begins her new life in a land that causes her much heartache and oppression. Her circumstances are buoyed by the warmth, love and support of her fellow enslaved workers, who lift her up and encourage her to continue on.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2020

Reviews

[Becca Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book at the Penn Center on St Helena’s Island, SC. Highly recommend visiting Penn Center—it is a powerful advocate for the Gullah community! The book is an intimate, heartbreaking portrait of the horrors faced by African people enslaved in coastal SC. The only reason that I did not give it 5 stars is the writing style is not really my preference and I would have loved more direct information/ connection to the advent of the Gullah language and traditions.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading a lot of books related to the slave experience in South Carolina recently, and this book was very informative, but it was almost a parody of how it was made into a story. Almost every page, it would talk about a character and say, "so-and-so learned that.." and then talk for a page or two about some topic. For example, it said that this one character learned that rice was once the main crop of Charleston, and then talked for two pages about how rice was harvested, But it was just such a thinly veiled attempt at a nonfiction lesson. And the lesson about rice would come from a fellow slave, with no education, but speaking in very educated terminology. The info in this book is good, I just felt like it was a bad attempt to make it into a historical fiction book. It would have been much better if they had just left it as a nonfiction book teaching about what life was like.

[Ava Burkheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars are not enough to express the power and impact of this book! I purchased this on vacation on St. Helena Island in SC in a tiny gift shop, and from the moment I opened it I was haunted by the words that leapt from the pages. The unspeakable horrors of slavery and the depravity of acts humans can inflict on each other … the tears were flowing throughout this novel! I can’t even express the emotion author Josie Olsvig drew forth! I will most definitely look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

[Melissa Philbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed, Gullah Tears was not what I expected. This was more about the white slave owners than the slaves. The white author went into great detail about the planters and their families, their activities and even their clothing. She brushed over the details when it came to the slaves and their experiences. It’s brutal and difficult to hear but it’s time we face the truths about our country’s history.

There is also a lack of character development with great opportunity to have done so, with Hentie in particular.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read in months. It isn't just the story of Hentie & her life at Twin Oaks, but it is a good lesson in history as well. Many topics are covered in these pages...slave ships & auctions, plantation life, workhouses, Gullah culture, "jumping the broom", antebellum Southern politics, runaway slaves & the Underground Railroad. All are interspersed thoughout the story making it quite readable as well as educational.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up at 8% read. I didn't like the writing style, it felt like a school essay and there were grammar errors. Maybe it improves, but there's Roots written and researched by a black man about his own family, what can this white author really add.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie Olsvig's historical novel, Gullah Tears, is as the author writes, "a journey of discovery." Readers will discover the truth about the Gullah people of the Lowcountry, as they follow the harrowing stories of some of the enslaved people who landed in Charleston, South Carolina during the height of the slave trade. In-depth research informs and organizes these tales of courage, cruelty, domination, friendship, love, and hope.
Readers will worry, cheer, and cry their own tears as they get to know Hentie, Juba, Cuffee, and Doll and celebrate their heroic attempts to navigate the strange moss-bedraggled world they have been forced to endure. One misstep can mean a lashing or cost a life.
Despite their shortcomings, failures, and plain wickedness, slavemasters are painted with a human brush, their "reasoning" explained, though never justified. The white owners had a choice, as dissenters of this "peculiar institution" demonstrate with their defiant and brave actions.
Gullah Tears is Part One of a trilogy, and I am anxious to learn more about these characters and listen to the truths about a shameful part of the American past.
As some say, ghosts must be acknowledged before they disappear.

[Geneiveve “Annie” Jannetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I learned a lot specifically about the Charleston area. I knew about this very ugly time in American history, but didn’t realize how big a part the Charleston area played. My only criticism of the book is that I did not like the ending at all. I personally like more of a definitive ending and this one was so open ended. If I would have liked the ending better, it would have definitely been a five star read, but I gave it four stars instead.

[Lindsey Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational Fiction

This book was interesting because I was invested in the characters, but it also felt very scholarly. Maybe sometimes too scholarly; like the characters were solely trying to teach me things instead of just letting their story unfold.
Thus is, of course, not a happy story. So, do not read this of you are looking for happily ever after.

[Mariah Zike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book at a cute little coffee shop near St.Helena Island, SC. We kept seeing “Gullah” on restaurants, stores etc. & I had no idea where it came from so I decided to purchase this book as my own small form of research.
I was quickly swept away by the author’s vivid storytelling & the book’s endearing characters. There were times I almost cried, times I had to jerk my eyes away from the page, and many times I was filled with love & admiration for these characters. The book isn’t always in chronological order so it can get a bit confusing at times, but overall I think the author did a lovely job shedding light on the tragic acts committed against slaves in the US South in this historical fiction novel. She describes common forms of punishment carried out in the city of Charleston & its surrounding plantations, while also telling a story of hope, faith & community- often the only things that slaves could hold onto to make it through each day. Deeply moving & worth the read.

[Jim Shubnell]

It all started on the coast of Charleston!

[Aleksey Berzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written story about hardship and redemption in a different time. The characters and their depth make the story. I hope more of such work in the future.

[Cathy Hough · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was extremely hard to read because it was heartbreaking. Well written by the author but not my cup of tea.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A powerful story, with an extensive bibliography.
Hard to read about the inhumane treatment of others, yet, I could not put it down.

[Judy Burrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. Interesting history. The writing style varied and was mot always to my liking.

[Tracy Valinevicius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an enlightening book on slavery in the South.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have liked to hear more about Gullah culture!