Customer Reviews

Christmas In The Big House: Christmas in the Quarters

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book describes the customs, recipes, poems, and songs used to celebrate Christmas in the big plantation houses and in the slave quarters just before the Civil War. I was filled with great trepidation after seeing the cover of this book. It was a relief to me to find that, fortunately, the text was respectful and historically accurate. But observe, as I did, this cover. We know, after reading the book, that this picture symbolizes the rare moment when the slaves were invited into the "Big House", or home of the white slave owners, to view the Christmas trimming. Yet it cuts too closely to the ancient inaccurate image of plantation owners and their "happy" slaves (ala Gone With the Wind) for the casual person browsing this cover. The back cover does little to alleviate this fear, showing a scene of black children skipping merrily with a white child. Inside, however, the authors deal deftly with the subject. Making it very very clear that certain positive traits exhibited by the slave owners during Christmas towards their slaves were the exception and not the rule, the book gives carefully annotated scenes from the lives of white plantation owners and slaves. The pictures accompanying the text are, most times, beautifully presented. There is a shot of a bonfire that is one of the most impressive drawings I've ever seen of fire. Unfortunately, some of the models for these pictures undoubtedly suffered from hair circa 1994, since it is obviously permed to perfection in a couple scenes. Please note that the authors have a keen sense of irony that plays well. After hearing the slaves sing a song that is code for someone escaping to freedom, the plantation owner's daughter writes in her diary that the day has ended with, "the sweet sound of a happy, contented slave singing a carol". This point is not elaborated on, and is exquisite in its simplicity. The endnotes found in the back of the book, annotated per page, are excellently done. This book is a valuable part of any collection, and would read best to children a little older. Kids who read this book on their own may not catch all the references and points that the book brings up. This would pair well with Mildred Taylor's "The Well", as a before and after to the Civil War.

My five star rating comes with a single caveat: I don't believe this book, or any discussion of slavery, is appropriate for fourth graders, as has been suggested. This is a really well-done book, but despite the fact that it is a picture book, I feel it is better suited to grades 6-8, perhaps the occasional mature 5th grader. The topic is a painful one, especially if you are talking to large numbers of African-American children whose far-back families may well have lived in the quarters (kids like my history students). The thing I love about this book is that it doesn't try to present the slaves as essentially happy and festive, which is how they were depicted when I was growing up in the '60s. Instead, it is understood that they endure their position only because it is strategically the wrong moment to rise up and resist; you don't get the feeling these folks would really mind seeing the owners drop dead in their Christmas feast, but it isn't possible to make that happen right now, so they make the best of a bad situation, but only for the moment. The cluelessness of the white owners is beautifully rendered. That said, if you are shopping for a Christmas book to read with your young child at Christmas time to get that glowing, good-all-over feeling, this isn't the book you are looking for. Save this one for a serious discussion of slavery and the American Civil War.

This is quite a fascinating book. Like another reviewer here, when I received this work I groaned inwardly, particularly when I noted the cover. I should have listened to the old saying "never judge a book by it's cover." This hold very true with this work. The book is the story of and a comparison of Christmas in the old south and how the folks in the "Big House" celebrated in contrast with the folks in the slave quarters. I found this work to bee extremely historically accurate. Social issues are meet head on with little or no surgar coating. The art work in this book is worth many more times the price of the book. It is truely well done. The only critical thing I might have to say here is that everything was depicted as rather clean and neat, a little too perfect. This includes the white owners living quarters and dress along with those of the slave. Things just were not that nice in those days. Other than that, I felt this was a very, very good work. I did enjoy the various recipes, discriptions of customs and songs. All in all, recommend this one highly.

If there is truly anyone out there yet who thinks slavery was in any way, shape or form a good thing for the slaves themselves, this book should dispel that misconception in a hurry.
If I were still teaching, I would definitely want to use this book in my classroom, not necessarily in connection with any type of seasonal celebration, but to illustrate the sharp contrast of how slavery worked for both the white masters and for the slaves from an historical perspective. When the narrative is read, it becomes unmistakably clear who was really benefitting from the slave system, and it certainly was not those held in slavery. The hard work of preparation and actually making the masters' Christmas happen rests entirely with the slaves, and yet they saw very little in way of material benefit for themselves from Christmas. In fact, the real climax of the book to me was when "Separation Day" came following the holidays, when the master would announce which slaves would be going either to the auction block or parceled out to distant relatives---either option meaning that families were going to be broken up and separated from one another. (Happy New Year, indeed.)
While I agree with another reviewer who thought the cover illustration might be a little too warm and cozy for the subject matter, I must also say that the illustrations as a whole are outstanding. Looking at them is similar to looking at sepia-tinted photographs from the period right before the Civil War, and while they are beautiful and finely detailed, they are also heart-wrenching when paired with what the text is saying.
While this is a "picture book," I would hesitate to use this book with too young an audience due to the seriousness of the subject matter. I think that kids in the early elementary grades like K-4 might be disturbed by what it depicts, or at least might not grasp all it is trying to say. I think that older children such as those in later elementary grades and perhaps even into junior high grades could learn a lot from it, however.

I grew up with this book in my home, and am thankful. I think it's wonderful, and enjoy reading it time to time, and recommending it to friends with children.

I think it's perfectly appropriate for grade schoolers, and in my opinion, a great book that truly celebrates the true meaning of the season. Yes slavery is an unpleasant topic, but it must be taught, and there's nothing violent or uncomfortable in this book. It simply presents the obvious: slaves, and those in the big house, and how their holidays differ.

The illustrations are just gorgeous, and while it is quite text heavy, it might be a nice book to read parts of each night before Christmas day. I have yet to try the recipe, but I enjoy the songs.

Great book! You won't be let down!

This beautifully illustrated Christmas story explains the origins of many African-American Christmas traditions.