From Library Journal
In her first novel, poet/critic Williams depicts the story of runaway slave Dessa Rose and a white woman who harbors runaways on her isolated farm. Dessa's story begins when she attacks the master who has killed her husband. Sold to a slave trader from whom she and some companions escape, Dessa is captured and interviewed by a man writing a book on slave rebellions. Her companions free her and, hiding on Miss Rufel's farm, they plot their escape to the West. Dessa's evolving relationship with Miss Rufel speaks volumes about the complex feelings between white and black women then and now. Unfortunately, the initial exposition, alternating between the interviewer and Dessa's dazed flashbacks, is slow-moving and confusing, giving no hint of the richness to come. Rewarding for the persistent reader. Janet Boyarin Blundell, M.L.S., Brookdale Community Coll., Lincroft, N.J.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Review
“Extraordinary. . . . These two women achieve one of the most intricate and ambivalent relationships in contemporary fiction.” (Los Angeles Times )
“Having this treasure of a book available again for new and more readers is not only necessary, it is imperative.” (Toni Morrison )
“A deep, rich, compelling work. . . . I am astonished, moved, and delighted with the language, the thought, the obvious collaboration of the ancestors and the love I read on these pages.” (Alice Walker )
“Absorbing…Deeply true and brilliantly imagined.” (Newsday )
“Destined to become a modern classic.” (Chicago Tribune )
“A powerful story. . . . Emotionally affecting and totally unforgettable.” (New York Times )
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