White Slave by Cathy Thompson blogtour

blurb

A former slave tells of an escapade involving him leading out a group of slaves from their former master, confronting the reality of racism in New Orleans in the 1800s, some years before the abolition.

But did this in fact happen? Or could his retelling of the escape he led be what remains of the trauma of having been a slave himself?

It is a story of revenge and cowardice, of hypocrisy and community, of deep-rooted violence and the effect that leaves on the mind, but also a story about how the imagination serves as a place to hide away from that violence.

Author Bio

Cathy Thompson is a former teacher and volunteer librarian. She’s always wanted to be a writer. Friends and family encouraged her to get her writing published. The result is her first book, Dolphins: The Complete Guide.

My Thoughts

Historical Fiction is a passion of mine especially when dealing with many of the North American styles however I love all history.

I find some of the writing harder to read as the author is writing as if she is thinking from the slaves point of view and that they are thinking as they would speak.  It can make it slightly harder to read but makes it feel like it’s more authentic.

While reading this book it does take you out of the story to a point when seeing the language written as if it was the slave speaking.  I am not sure why this was written in this way, it’s unique and really makes you work to read the book.

I love that the author doesn’t sugar coat anything and shows the brutality of the time period and what happened to slaves.  I feel the fear that was the whole of part 1.  It showed a huge difference then what I first expected and I find the gruesome details that was placed in the first part enhanced the book so much.

The book feels very authentic and even I can feel the fear.  I love books that keep a situation tense the way they should be.  Nothing about this topic should be comfortable.

The brutality of what happens won’t be for everyone I can say that now.  There is so much violence and some against innocents which could be triggering for some.

I think this story is a must read and shows a very great deal about humankind and how we will turn on each other and betray each other for a purpose of having an easier life. 

This doesn’t necessarily paint the slave holders as the only bad people.  It shows that many people are the reason why Slavery held so much sway in the USA.