For anyone interested in Southern history, this is a great story. We follow along with Cornelius from his earliest days as a plantation slave, his escape from slavery, his time spent serving in the military, and his everyday life after leaving the armed forces. It's an in-depth look at the struggle between the races from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.
The story is written with so much depth and realism, that there are parts very difficult to read. Details about things Cornelius sees in the war and other experiences are written with such clarity, you can see it happening and it can be disturbing. But I think it's important to have those details ~ it's so easy to gloss over just how awful war can be....just how awful slavery was...Samuel gives you a very un-glossed over look at life in those days.
For as good as the story is, I do agree with other reviewers that there is much editing that could have been done. There are many grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors throughout the book that are distracting for the reader. I also found the beginning a little odd - Cornelius is telling his story to a researcher, but it's not presented that way initially...he just answers a knock on the door and lets the gentleman in and starts telling his story. We learn a little about the researcher as the story goes on, but I think more of an introduction in the beginning would have been helpful. Also, I occasionally found the transitions back to current day with the researcher a little confusing ~ they could have been made clearer.
But, the story is definitely engaging ~ you will be rooting for Cornelius, even when he's not behaving with the highest moral standards. You want to see him not only survive, but thrive.
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