The Underground Railroad

Beautiful word choice and paints the black community as taking very small wins (celebrating a birthday on different days—perhaps not even a real birthday, but just a reason to have a small celebration and break) and forging their community while suffering through the evils of slavery. I enjoyed seeing a fictional representation of the underground railroad and the potential historical situations that black individuals most likely faced. I did not enjoy how removed I was from the characters–I agree with other reviews that said that switching it to first-person-pov would have helped immensely. Additionally, it was jarring to switch in between the individuals and their stories.

This book is a great look into slavery, the south, and the hopes and realities of many black individuals. Not always the best writing overall, but beautiful words convey the harsh realities of history.

Quote:
“A reminder that she is only a human being for a tiny moment across the eternity of her servitude.”

“He wrung out every possible dollar. When black blood was money, the savvy business man knew to open every vein.”

“What a world, Cora thought, that makes a living prison into your only haven. Was she out of bondage or in its web: how to describe the status of a runaway? Freedom was a thing that shifted as you looked at it, the way a forest is dense with trees up close, but from outside, from the empty meadow, you see its true limits. Being free had nothing to do with chains or how much space you had. On the plantation she was not free, but she moved unrestricted on its acres, tasting the air and tracing the summer stars. The place was big in its smallness. Here, she was free of her master but slunk around a warren so tiny she couldn't stand.”