The Healing
Andrea says:
This book combines tragedy, mysticism and suffering. There are a few happy moments but not many. I had a hard time engaging with Granada and had to keep reminding myself that she was only 12 years old when she was banished from the big house and the protection of the mistress. Polly was the Healer and thats where some of the mystical came in. She was the best part of the story. There was the typical plantation horror , very hard to read that someone's child is taken from their arms o...r that the slaves are actually thought of as stock. It's nothing new but always painful to read. I would have given the book more stars but there was just something missing for me.
JH4293 says:
I had never heard of the author, but I will look for his other stuff. I was very impressed by his Note to the Reader; it shows us beautifully the source of his inspiration. As to how he turned that inspiration into one of the most beautiful and lyrical books I have read, is a mystery. That doesn't mean I didn't have to stop reading at times because of Granada's behaviour, when I yelled 'Nooo' at her. At other times I longed to get back to the intricate plot when my reading got interrupted. Weather is big, threatening creatures are big, superstition is big and all the characters are big, but very, very real in their human-ness (although a lot of them have no humanity). The interwoven stories that lead us all back to the present-and some current healing-are very well crafted.MoreLess
This book combines tragedy, mysticism and suffering. There are a few happy moments but not many. I had a hard time engaging with Granada and had to keep reminding myself that she was only 12 years old when she was banished from the big house and the protection of the mistress. Polly was the Healer and thats where some of the mystical came in. She was the best part of the story. There was the typical plantation horror , very hard to read that someone's child is taken from their arms o...r that the slaves are actually thought of as stock. It's nothing new but always painful to read. I would have given the book more stars but there was just something missing for me.
JH4293 says:
I had never heard of the author, but I will look for his other stuff. I was very impressed by his Note to the Reader; it shows us beautifully the source of his inspiration. As to how he turned that inspiration into one of the most beautiful and lyrical books I have read, is a mystery. That doesn't mean I didn't have to stop reading at times because of Granada's behaviour, when I yelled 'Nooo' at her. At other times I longed to get back to the intricate plot when my reading got interrupted. Weather is big, threatening creatures are big, superstition is big and all the characters are big, but very, very real in their human-ness (although a lot of them have no humanity). The interwoven stories that lead us all back to the present-and some current healing-are very well crafted.MoreLess
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Guest 4 years ago
The Healing is about the life of a woman who was born into slavery and lived past slavery into her nineties and the hardships of survival for her and the people around her and the learning about oneself through the people in your life.Books about slavery are hard to read but this one has a well-written story and characters who were not one dimensional or stereotypes. For me it was a compelling read.
Guest 6 years ago
I absolutely love this book. I was shocked to realize it was written by a white man. He did his homework and I was captivated by the characters in all of their circumstance and ignorance of that 'freedom' meant. Really shows how brutal the industry of slavery was. The 'master' calling his brutality scientific was incredible. His arrogance led to tragedy in his family too. I love how it ended!
Guest 7 years ago
Beautiful.
Guest 7 years ago
Really liked this book. It is a page turner.
Guest 6 years ago
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