Customer Reviews

Daughters of the Dust: A Novel

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This book was one that I enjoyed very much and read quickly. I couldn't put it down! I originally purchased this book because my family and I visited St. Helena Island, a Sea Island with much Gullah tradition, last year and loved it. I thought this book would be a way to learn more about the culture of the Sea Islands and get a good story out of it at the same time. It turned out to be so much more than that. Julie Dash does a masterful job of weaving Amelia's story into those of her mother and grandmother who have left the Island and moved to New York City to escape the "backwards" island culture. Amelia comes to love and appreciate her family and the rich heritage of her ancestors. This book was enriching both from a literary and cultural standpoint. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good "coming of age" novel.

This was such a well written book. The way Julia Dash developed the characters and described the scenery of the Gullah Islands caused me to want to visit South Carolina myself. I recommend this book to anyone.

Daughters of the Dust is a very moving, mystical journey full of haunting imagery and simple pleasures. It is the story of Amelia, an anthropology student, who has to decided to study the people of Dawtah Island as her thesis. Dawtah Island has been a mystery to her for as long as she can remember. Her mother and grandmother were born on the island. Her grandmother seems to despise everything about the island especially the people and their ignorant and backwards customs. In direct contrast her mother's fondest memories are of her life on the island, she remembers being truly happy there. Amelia has only visited the island once and was in awe of the simplicity of life there.

It is decided that Amelia will live with Eula and Eli, her aunt and uncle, while she studies the culture and customs of the island. Initially she finds the residents of the island reluctant to talk to her. They consider her an outsider and fear she will not understand them. As the islanders become more familiar with Ameila they begin to open up and share their stories with her. Through their stories she realizes their culture is rich in customs; they live in harmony with the animals and elements. They live a simple life but they control their own destiny and revel in life's simple pleasures. Their stories also tell of the joys of love and heartaches of lost or unrequited loves.

Reserve a couple weeks to read this one, it's a "ponderers" delight.

Daughters of the Dust is set on the Sea Island. The story follows the lives of the Peazants. In one sense, it is historical fiction in that the plot refers to the slave trade in explaining how the residents arrived on the island. The author also interspersed some of the history of the Africans and Native Americans in explaining the characters. Finally, she also uses the oral tradition of Africans to further allow the reader to see into the heritage of the characters.

Amelia grew up with her father, mother and maternal grandmother. The dynamics of the household are disturbing to Amelia. Her grandmother, Hagar, is bitter and runs the household with an iron fist. Her father spends much of his time at the family business. Both her grandmother and father tend to verbally abuse or ignore her mother who just seems to suffer through it all. Amelia is the only bright spot in her mother's days. Amelia vaguely remembers trips to the "island" and her mother's family. She has a lot of curiosity about this facet of her family. Neither her father or grandmother has anything nice to say about the island but her mother seems to long for the island. Amelia decides to go to the island to "study" her family with her mother's blessing and against her father & grandmother's wishes.

On the island, Elizabeth befriends Amelia. Elizabeth is the one who has ventured away from the island and furthered her education. She routinely works for two older white women on the "mainland" as well as teaching on the island. Elizabeth is Amelia's guide to not only life on the island but their family's history. Elizabeth, like Amelia, must chose between staying with family or following her dreams.

The supporting characters in Daughters of the Dust are colorful and endearing to say the least. There are children, teenagers, elders, newlyweds, hopes & dreams realized and lost in the lives of the supporting characters: they each have a tale to tell. Ms. Dash does a great job of telling a "story" with strong African-American women of character. I would recommend this book to anyone that is curious about the history of Africans in America and enjoy reading about the challenges of family life.

Leanna Bailey
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

I appreciated being able to continue the journey with the Peasant Family and deepen and widen my personal relationship with them. Julie Dash and her creativity continue to nurture the American African experience by re-membering our collective consciouusness through language, image and ritual. I look expect to see a film manifested from the amount of energy Sister Julie released into this project and send her much love and light toward her endeavors.

A great deal of Dash's strength lies within her ability to capture the essence of not only the lead character, Amelia, but also of the other women that she encounters. Amelia's true self emerges as she completes her pilgrammage to the homeland of Dawtuh Island.
Beginning with a tentative, impersonal anthropological study of her own people, Amelia learns of her roots and gains an appreciation for the simplicistic lives that her relatives lead. In the process, and quite accidentally, she discovers her true self. In both a literal and figurative sense, she takes communion with those who walked the land before her.

This book also succeeds in presenting stories and rituals from Africa in such a magical way that one can almost hear the spirits calling their sons and daughters home over the "big water". Dash effectively uses the geechee dialect sparingly and without mockery, so that the characters presented within this book are seen as members of a distinct culture, rather than circus side show spectacles.

This lyrical tale aroused my curiosity about a people who survived slavery with their ways intact, and it inspired in me a new appreciation for letting others live as they deem fit.

Daughter's is about a Gullah family, the Peazants, and neighbors on the barrier island on the Georgia & South Carolina coast. The primary characters are Eli Peazant, Eula Peazant, Elizabeth Ayodele Peazant, Cousin Amelia, and a host of eclectic characters.

The story is primarily coming from the prospective of the oldest daughter and first child of Eula and Eli, Lil Bet(Elizabeth).

The Gullahs/Geechees are unique AA communities. During slavery, they were distributed on all the barriers islands, which are isolated from the mainland. There were numerous Africans from various nations and ethnic groups from West and Central Africa.

The whites abandoned the islands because the mosquitoes were making a feast of them and malaria was kickin' their butts. So they left overseers and managers to work the Africans(property), beat the Africans, and pretty much whatever they wanted as long as it was profitable and insured their wealth. As a result Africans were able to maintain much of the their culture, unlike the mainland Africans, who were exposed to white society and live in close and intimate proximity to them.

Amelia is the grand daughter of Haagar and the daughter of Myown. Her mama and grandmama left the island some years ago, and Amelia doesn't know too much about them. Before she ventures there as an adult she has a very negative perception of them. She has an opportunity to go the island and research for her dissertation. This is an opportunity to become acquainted with her family who still abide by many of the old African ways and traditions. She was completely out of touch with her heritage

The backdrop of the story is Ibo Landing. Ibo Landing is AA folk tale of how the Ibos(Southeast Nigeria - Bight of Biafra) formed a ring(ring shout) and called down the Great Spirit and flew/or walk back to Africa after getting a brutal beating from the overseer. Another variation is that they drown themselves after a brutal beating for not working fast enough or doing it wrong. A cat-o-nine tail(whip) was one of the whites' favorite torture tools for Africans.

I highly recommend this book. It is a pleasant read and takes your mind to another world.

Question of the Day?

What is your basket name or nickname, and do you know why you were given it? Elizabeth's is Lil Bet. During slavery parents weren't allowed to give their children names. Your child wasn't yours. It could sold off at will or the parent(s) could be sold away. The slave master assigned names. So the family gave their children secret names to be used for the family and close family friends(like family). This tradition still continues throughout Africa America. However, most of us don't know why we have the nicknames or how it came to be. It is just something we do. I don't believe too many have thought why. What is your

I arrived late to this book. It is more than ten years old and I feel as if I just missed a friend who had waited for me as long as they could, but had to leave. I've always been curious about the surviving tribes of Afrika (I chose to spell it that way)that live off the coast of South Carolina. I've often wondered what sets them apart from the rest of us. What made them so different? Now, I know. The book was fascinating. The story was beautifully written and I was entertained as well as educated. I loved the "old" ceremonies and the "lies" (which I believe)that actually gives Afrikan people living in this country a look into their history. Our people have always had strong belief systems and these have survived. They are alive and well today. I would encourage anyone that has read this book to follow up with other books that will let us see the history of our people without judgement and the ability to live and survive independently of outside factions. A triumphant and informative work of literature.

Wow...the "Geechees". I'll be seeing you soon.

I am not much of a novel reader but I bought Daughters of the Dust because I am vacationing in the Sea Islands later this year. I found the stories to be captivating and descriptive of a life so different but somehow connected to my own. The pictures that Julia Dash painted of the island, the sounds and smells that she conjured up, and the feelings that she evoked made me feel almost as though I were there. This book is much better, more understandable than the movie. I highly recommend it for any family to read together, especially African American families with teenage girls.

I have never felt more at home with a book than I did with Daughters of the Dust. I didn't want to put it down!! Everytime I sat down to read this book, I felt like I was among family. This book is so rich and colorful and filled with things so familiar to African American life, it's impossible to describe and give it it's just due. READ IT!! It's a must!