Customer Reviews

Cane River

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lalita Tademy pulled me right into her family. I came to care so much about these women that I couldn't stop, I had to see what came next. She handles the different cultures represented (slave to free, free creole, French emigre, white southern) so well that everyone's motivations seem to make perfect sense as you move through the changing scene. In 2001 it's not easy to understand the fathers' abilities to separate their emotional ties from their social "obligations," but this book leaves me with no doubt that's the way it was. If this were a novel, I would want the family to leave Louisiana and marry the men they love, but history wrote it another way.

I was completely drawn into Lalita Tademy's history of her family. Weaving her own fictional narrative to tie together the real family tree and history that she has researched, she has created a beautifully written, compelling story that illuminated a world I knew little about. Elizabeth, Suzette, Philomene, and Emily are all such rounded, interesting, strong women, and they would be proud of this book and the latest strong, talented woman in their lineage!

We know all the stories-how white men forced themselves on their black female slaves; the octoroon and mulatto who resulted from those unions; the hope of freedom; the field work; the housework; the cruel overseers. There's nothing new in that arena in Lalita Tademy's debut novel, Cane River. But what makes this work stand out from any of the others in this historical area, which takes place along the Cane River in Louisiana, is the women who pepper this compelling family saga.

First we meet Elizabeth and her daughter, Suzette. In her late thirties, Elizabeth seems much, much older, worn down by the burden of being a slave and her position as cook. Her motto is "We do what we have to to survive." Suzette is a high-spirited girl who has enjoyed being the shadow of her owner's daughter, Oreline Derbanne. Suzette cannot understand why she and her family are slaves, when there are free colored people living nearby. An white French immigrant and neighbor, Eugene Daurat, rapes Suzette and begins an affair with her that is rather odd, but intriguing. Suzette bears him two children. As time goes by, the plantation, Rosedew, the master, Louis Derbanne, dies. Suzette and her daughter, her mother, and her deaf-mite sister go in one direction; her son in another.

Suzette's daughter, Philomene, grows up with a gift---the ability to see into the future----"glimpsings." Philomene is about to marry Clement, the love of her life, but she is forced into intimacy with a white man, Narcisse Fredieu. Before Clement is sold away, she bears him twin daughters, but bears Fredieu eight. Philomene makes sure that Fredieu cares for his children by making certain the property on which he built them a home is in her name---security she calls it. The white stain Daurat started with Suzette is becoming more and more evident in each child that appears.

By the time we reach Emily's (Philomene's daughter) stage of life, there are four generations of colored women living under the same roof. The children come from all over the Cane River area to have the dinner with Elizabeth and any other family member who can make it. Emily's tale goes up to her death in 1936 and is the frame of the novel.

Tademy, who quit her vice-presidency position at a Fortune 500 company to research her family roots, has done an excellent job in portraying each individual woman. The names of the men, because they are French and resemble each other, are confusing and difficult to keep distinguished. However, Cane River is a wonderfully-written novel that moves at a dramatic pace and digs deeper into the soul's of these women and their era with remarkable richness and complexity.

On a remote Creole plantation in Louisiana in the 1830s, Suzette, a slave, wants to live in a big house. Her dreams die when she is forced to become a mistress to Frenchman Eugene Daurat. Their "high yellow" skinned daughter Philomene Daurat becomes mistress to Creole plantation owner Narcisse Fredieu and mother to the planter's other children. One of the next generation's children Emily Fredieu, born a slave in 1861, but much lighter in skin color, struggles with Jim Crow Laws and terrorists.

CANE RIVER is an incredible accomplishment that combines genuine written and oral records into a biographical novel of Lalita Tademy's ancestors. The story line is loaded with history and a true feel for several generations during a time of great social and cultural changes, but written from the perspectives of the women as well as the men in their lives. Ms. Tademy has written an insightful story that will garner the debut author much deserved acclaim.

Harriet Klausner

Introduced to Cane River by a local bookseller, I was anxious for its release. On the day I purchased this novel I was blessed to meet its author, Lalita Tademy, in Jefferson, Texas. I don't know how she was able to keep the factual and fictional elements separate as she wove together this intricate tale of the strong-willed, intelligent women who gave birth to more of the same, leading to Ms. Tademy herself. It also made me sad and ashamed to think of the inhumane treatment of human beings and the senseless separation of families. Ms. Tademy does an excellent job of portraying events in a straight-forward non-patronizing manner. This is a wonderful story of family, survival, and human nature--always reaching for the next level, a better level. Read it, you will NOT be disappointed. (It would make the best Oprah selection yet!)

Written by Lalita Tademy this book was for me a totally wonderful read. Lalita traces the history of her family back to her great great great great grandmother on a plantation in the Cane River region of Louisiana. She discovers that Elizabeth was not a free person of color,as she had previously thought, but that she was a slave on the Derbanne's plantation in the early 1800's. She documents with great feeling Elizabeth's daughter Suzette and how she gave birth to two children by whiteman Eugene Duarat, who forced himself on her. One of those children was her daughter Philomene who in turn had a relationship with white Frenchman, Narcisse Fredieu.They produced a daughter, Emily, along with several sons. Emily was Latita's great grandmother. Emily fell in love with another white man Joseph Billes and they had a thirty year relationship which produced four sons and one daughter. But they never married because it would not have been safe for a white man to marry a colored woman. Joseph married a white woman but it was not a happy union. The story is told with such feeling that I could not put it down. I also learned of the struggles of the colored people even after the abolishment of slavery,and their fight for recognision and survival. I would highly recommend this book

I can't believe this is her first book. Tademy has done a superb job in documenting her family's history through fictional narrative. This story was moving and interesting throughout the book. Tademy expressed her ancestors' struggles so clearly that I felt moved to tears many times. Philomene was the strong heroine who so clearly understood what she had to do to keep this family together - that's why she stood out so clearly in Ms. Tademy's spirit while she did her research. Three African-American women, Suzette, Philomene, and Emily, who put family first and did what they had to do, given their circumstances, to survive, and yes, also succeed. While reading, I suddenly began questioning some of the stories passed down through my family, and now I'm encouraged to begin searching my own family roots and passing this vital information on to my children. Thanks Ms. Tademy, you did a fantastic job !

Normally I don't care even a little bit for fictionalized versions of true stories, but this is a GLOWING EXCEPTION. In fact, this is one the best books I've read all year! This story swallows you up in its vivid portrayal of the lives of these slaves, unbelieveably not all that very long ago. It also taught me about the class system within the "black" community in the South of which I was totally unaware. Lalita Tademy may have been a shiny success in the business world, but that achievement pales in comparison to this incredible, heartrending story she has researched and shared about her own family history. This would make a dynamite movie. I'm going to order another copy right now and send it to my mother.

I got very interested in this book when I first saw the ad for it in my book club. I couldn't resist getting a copy as soon as possible. Fortunately, I was able to get a copy last Friday. I read it almost straight through in two days. (Had to stop to go to church). I found it interesting,engrossing,and hard to put down. The ladies of this novel are just wonderful. I was mad with that little man Eduourd for taking Suzette and not providing. What made me even madder was Philomene and Clement. I was against Narcisse Ferdieu for what he did. He knew he couldn't marry her, but he desired her to the point of breaking up what happiness she did have. That was bad enough, but then in Emily's situation, Joseph really wanted Emily, I believe he could have married her if he wanted to, but the timing was bad for such a situation. What is so sad about these ladies is that for the most part, they were forced into liasions not of their own will. Then, when it didn't look good for the white families after the act, they sold away the offending parties in an effort to do away with the problem. I am glad that Clement wanted Philomene and was coming back for her, but in a sense, I am glad he died because I don't think he could have dealt with what had happened to Philomene. This book is not offensive so much with explicit sex scenes, yet it is good that all could read. I recommend this book heartily to all who wish to read it. You won't forget it.

This book with it's story weaving thru history i.e. pre and post Civil War times; was fascinating. The writer lets you stand in the shoes of the three main female characters. What makes it so special is that the author is writing about her ancestors and what they [most likley felt] during their lives on what history shows they actually did.
The author did extensive research on her family and documented events with some of their photographs and old papers that she found. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history and stories about real people and events. 5 stars !!