Customer Reviews

Jubilee

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was 13 years old when I read *Jubilee* for the first time. I found it in the library and spent a rainy Saturday devouring the story. After the last page was turned, I ran immediately to my grandmother (who was born in 1906, and therefore an expert in all things old) and asked her how any of this could possibly be true. I knew about slavery from history books, but slave masters having children with slaves! What followed was an eye-opening conversation about what our history REALLY was - and who the people of the south really were. I never forgot the experience, and I never forgot the book.

Now, I am 18 years older, and once again, on a rainy Saturday, I picked up a copy of *Jubillee* (this time from Square Books in Oxford) and read the whole book again. The story was still as powerful, and I understood so much more than I could back then. I understood the mastery of Walker's writing, the power of her story, and the incredible fairness and depth with which Walker crafted her novel. So many voices of the South speak to us . . .

The chief voice is of course Vyry's - it's her story. She is the voice of forgiveness, compassion, fairness, and spirituality that reaches to so many. She is also a voice that triumphs over the horrible suffering and injustice of the pre-Civil War South. She endures Emancipation and Reconstruction - not quite the panacea of those history books that led me astray so young - and ultimately triumphs over hate in all its forms. Her words concerning misunderstanding and reconciliation in the closing 4 chapters of the novel are some of the most powerful words in literature. She is a heroine among heroines - a beautiful example of what it means for humanity to triumph over prejudice and adversity. Alone, it would be a great tale, but the voices don't stop with Vyry alone . . .

Each of the characters speaks for a class of those who grew up in the South: the angry poor-whites (Grimes, the people who burn Vyry and Innis out of their home), the angry black men (Randall Ware, Jim to an extent), the privileged and cruel white upper class (Big Missy Salina), those among the white upper class who felt the injustice and yet were too cowardly to enact change (Marster Dutton and Miss Lillian), the freedom fighters that worked diligently to bring freedom (Brother Zeke), those who suffered before they saw the promised land (Mammy Sukey, Aunt Sally), and those who wanted to turn the labor that had been stolen for so long into proof of their worth (Innis Brown). Not only are all these voices present, but they are treated with equal sympathy and truth. Even the most evil of characters, like Grimes, is presented with compassion. Even the most heroic of characters, like Randall Ware, is portrayed with human frailties in tact. This is what makes *Jubilee* not just another slave novel, but a novel that really makes history alive.

I am a descendant of the poor white class. What *Jubilee* proved to me as a child was simple: I shared more with people of color than I thought. What it proves to me now is no less profound: Our history and our heritage are bound together by threads that we may not understand, and yet they are undeniable. Perhaps Vyry said it best: we all need each other. Only when we as a nation and a people realize that truth can true healing take place.

One word cannot describe this book. Margaret Walker captured the essence of one woman's struggle that represented so many during a period when freedom was an elusive dream. It would take a war and many deaths before African Americans became liberated, only to realize later that the chains of oppression were still evident just manifested in other ways. In JUBILEE, Vyry is born into slavery as a result of a relationship between her mother, Hetta, and the white plantation owner, "Marster Dutton." After Hetta's death, Vyry would be placed in the mansion as a servant to the owners and their children. Her mulatto coloring would elevate her above the station of a regular field hand and qualify her to work in the "Big House." While in the "Big House," Vyry would be subjected to almost daily abuse from the "Big Missy." Sometimes her only peace of mind would come from some of the older slave women who worked in the house. But when they all finally died, leaving her all alone, Vyry starts directing her own life and dreams, even daring to find love with a free black man.

Margaret Walker's JUBILEE is one of the best book written on witnessing the brutalities, triumphs and struggles of African Americans before, during and after the Civil War. In a true account from her ancestors, Walker has written a riveting tale of life as a slave. Her main character, the focal point of the book, is one that left this reader in tears from the hatred she received, but spellbound at the compassion she showed to her abusers. I was captivated by the love she showed for her husband and the stamina she possessed to keep the family and the dream alive. This novel is a fine testament to the life that our forefathers suffered in the pursuit of freedom and should be required reading for all African Americans.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Jubilee is a story that details the triumph of the human spirit in all its many facets: love, hate, fear, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, pride. All these exist in the character of Vyry, a slave on a Georgia plantation, the never recognized daughter of the plantation's master. Stories of slavery, the Civil War, and its aftermath are often presented as glowing tales of chivalry and glory for those bygone days, but in Vyry's story, the glory comes only from faith in God and his promises to send a new Moses to free them as he did the Israelites. Imagine the other side: picture life from a slave's point of view and glory becomes hardship, backbreaking work, separation of families, vicious beatings and no hope of freedom. Vyry's story is true, retold by her great granddaughter in all its poignant detail as history unfolds and her life changes. Her strength and compassion for all mankind plus her faith in God and His moral commandments places Vyry with all great heroines. This is a thought provoking and heartbreaking story but one that triumphs in the end and leaves the reader with a sense of regret for past injustice and inhumanity. In no uncertain terms, this book makes it clear that there could be no excuse for slavery despite its ancient history and justification.

I must admit that originally I chose this book because it was the only book on the reading list that I could find at the time. While I read, I came to appreciate the book for its deeper meanings and the lingering images of slave life found in the novel. This narrative tells the true story of the black slaves before, during, and after the Civil War; and the struggles they had to overcome. This novel details the human triumph over the despairs of slavery and dispels the stereotype of the black slave. This in depth story proves the ability of the slaves to have a full range of emotions, not just hatred. For Vyry, the creation of new life offers her salvation. She is blessed with children, and when she comes to a new town she is offered a home because of her skills as a midwife. While white skin is seen as a symbol of civilization, to Vyry it is only a point of further pain under the hand of Big Missy (Salina) who sees it as her duty to put Vyry in her place. In each new home, Vyry feels a sense of renewed hope offered to her by the color of her skin and the sense of freedom that comes with being in a new place. Even when that hope is consumed by the flames of the KKK, she is able to find release by turning to God. Omens at the opening of the novel further emphasize the brutalities of the slave owners and the vagaries of nature because of the twists of fate that allow hatred and death to continue. Walker uses these vivid images to convey the triumph of the human spirit and the true glory of God through man.

I first read Jubilee over twenty-five years ago when I was in high school. The edition that I read had a photgraph of the real Vyry in it as well as one of the author. A native Mississippian, I had no clue at that time that Margaret Walker was to become Dr. Margaret Walker Alexander, noted author and poet. I watched her funeral on t.v. a couple of years ago and remembered the first time that I read Jubilee and how much I loved it and remembered the respect that Alexander commanded everywhere she went. Recently I decided to re-read Jubilee, and I am so glad that I did. Although I loved it back then, I love it even more now. Some have called Jubilee the black person's answer to Gone with the Wind, and perhaps it is, but I contend that Jubilee is for all races and not just for students of black history. Vyry is honest about her heritage, both sides, and tells of her life in slavery, focusing on both the good and the bad. The Reconstruction years are perhaps the most frightening in the book; she no longer has the benevolent white master and the safety of the plantation and its routine life to rescue her. Many people seem to forget that Emancipation was not the answer in and of itself; the free black had so many hardships to face when he was thrust into the world that he was little prepared for. Innis and Vyry discover this fact as they move, in Vyry's words, from "pillar to post" trying to earn an honest living and enjoy their freedom. Perhaps Jim, Vyry's son from her relationship with Randall Ware, has a point when he comments that freedom does them no good when all they do is work all the time and see little from their efforts. Jubilee has a great conclusion that sees the Brown family finally settle in a place where they are accepted and tie up the loose ends left when Randall Ware reappears in their lives. Jubilee is still the riveting historical novel that I read many years ago, a must-read for all Americans, no matter what their heritage, and a classic, yesterday, today, and forever.

I am a high school English teacher and read Jubilee on the recommendation of one of my students. I have always been interested in Civil War literature, but this was one of the most realistic, well-written, historically-accurate books I have read in a long time. In fact, it had a profound effect on another student who made the claim that "slavery wasn't as bad as it is made out to be. After all, the slaves were given a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear." I simply asked this child to read Jubilee and then offer an opinion on the trials of slavery. One week later, she came to me in tears.

If you like a good love story, a powerful woman, a strong sense of history, and an honest perspective on life then Jubilee is a must-read.

I have to disagree with Maurena Logan. The book, Jubliee, is not just for black history buffs. Jubilee is not at all poorly written, in fact it is written strongly. The writer, Margaret Walker describes Vyry's life very vividly from the time her mother died up to the time that Vyry is a mother. Vyry had three children, Minna, Jim, and an unborn child. This book describes all the hardships, trials, and tribulations that Vyry must face being a slave. After Vyry lost her mother at such a young age her Aunt Sally had to care for her. This was okay until when Vyry was about nine, her Aunt Sally was sold and Vyry was left to care for herself. Jubilee tells the story of a young mulatto slave. Vyry, the main character, is born to a slave and her master. Vyry could pass to be white. In fact, when she was older she fit in just fine with white people. She had no trouble selling goods when her family needed money to survive. Her master's wife, Missy Salina is very hateful to her. Missy Salina treats her worse than you would treat a dog. She despises her and would love to rid herself of the tack Vyry has become to her. Not only is Vyry physically abused but also she emotionally abuses her. Through this all Vyry still found it within herself to love and forgive. Brother Zeke would talk of having faith in God and his promises to send a new Moses to free them as he did the Israelites when she was a little girl. Vyry always dreamed of being a free black woman ever since she met Randall Ware, a free black man. Vyry had two children for him. The first child, Jim, looked nothing like her but more like his father. Minna, the second child looked like her, she was pale and had fine brown hair like her mother's. The war gets into this picture when the Emancipation Proclamation is declared. Eventually Vyry was a free woman. Yes, this book does talk about history and the war, but it also brings you into the life of Vyry. It lets you feel her pain and suffering. Walker's style is very clearly organized and she is very outspoken. She draws attention to blacks suffering from hatred and rage. People don't realize that everyone is a victim of it.

Jubilee is such an excellent read! I feel like I knew the characters in the book. I especially have deep respect and admiration for Vyry because she is one of the strongest characters I have read that has made a mark in my heart and an going to influence me out through my life.

The books starts of with Hetta, Vyry's mother who dies after bearing so many children. Then, the story unfolds there. Vyry witnesses and experiences some horrible things in her life as a slave. She sees slaves misabuse including herself. She sees that she has no FREEDOM, and she does at one point dream of freedom, but abandons the dream of knowing it will take a while to come true or just excepts the terms that it will never be.

When Vyry and the other slaves are free after the war, this is a beginning of a new life for all of them. But the obstacles are not over yet. Vyry in her own family will experience turmoil and anger from various sources, but this does not make Vyry a bitter woman. It makes her stronger and determine to live a life of being free. She forgives he enemies, and she forgets what they have done to her.

This books is for all invidiuals to read because Jubilee will make you wonder and think about how life was for slaves. It will make you think about your life. It is about how much harshness and cruely that slaves endured. It is a story about how society viewed the wrong kinds of things. It is about how one woman kind enough to forgive all the bad things that happen to her as a slave. It is about the power or forgiveness and hopeness. It is about being human.

Jubilee is a well-written book for those that enjoy reading a good story set in slavery and post-civil war times. Vyry is a mulatto slave girl. Her father is her master but she soon becomes a slave to him and his family. She is emotionally and physically abused by her master's wife, Big Missy but Vyry refuses to surrender. She suffers many losses on her journey to freedom from slavery and survives. This is the best book I've read since reading Zora Neale Hurston's "Their eyes were watching God." I would read Jubliee again. It deserves 10 stars. It is not a book just for black history buffs.

I found Margaret Walker's Jubilee to be a very engrossing story about a mulatto Southern woman named Vyry and her struggles to survive before, during, and after the Civil War. I was especially impressed with Walker's descriptions of Vyry's girlhood; from the morose day when Vyry's biological mother (a Black slave) died to Vyry's first attempts at loving and being loved by someone else, Walker makes the reader feel as if he or she were right there living through all of the joy, heartache, and pain with Vyry. My only problem with Jubilee is that at times the story seemed to drag (most especially when Walker was explaining the political climate of the time) and, although I am an African American Studies major, I found myself flipping through most of the second half of the story simply because it started to bore me! I wonder if this was Walker's debut novel and hence that was the reason why it did not come off as polished as it could of been? Anyhow, I would definitely recommend this book to someone who knows little to nothing about the hardships that Blacks, mulattos, and poor Whites had to face during the Civil War. To get the emotional side of being a Black woman during this time period, however, I would advise reading Toni Morrison's "Beloved" first.