Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

 

Title: Washington Black

Author: Esi Edugyan

Genre: Fiction


Synopsis: "Eleven-year-old George Washington Black—or Wash—a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master’s brother. To his surprise, however, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human.

 
But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash’s head, they must abandon everything and flee together. Over the course of their travels, what brings Wash and Christopher together will tear them apart, propelling Wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. Spanning the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, London to Morocco, Washington Black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again." - Back Cover

My Thoughts

After I finished reading my last book, I used my Christmas and birthday gift cards to go on a book buying spree and purchased 7 books that were on my TBR list, this was one that had been on my list for a while.

I loved Wash's story, especially his transition from enslaved field worker to young artist while assisting Titch. Having his passion for art lead him to the Goff family and allow him to renew his passion for drawing wildlife as a young adult was an inspired choice by the author, and I enjoyed his transition to life in England.

In the end, I felt let down by the last section of the book when Wash travels to Morroco. This portion of the story felt rushed and at odds with the rest of the writing. I felt the ending was unresolved, not in a good way that keeps you wanting more, instead, the reader feels like, 'Oh, that's the end?' I think an epilogue may have been appropriate, if not another chapter, to make the novel feel complete.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini

                                                            

Title: Resistance Women
Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Genre: Historical Fiction


Other books that I have read by this author:
Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker: A Novel, The Spymistress: A Novel, Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule, Fates and Traitors, Mrs. Lincoln's Rival, Enchantress of Numbers

Synopsis: "After Wisconsin graduate student Mildred Fish marries brilliant German economist Arvid Harnack, she accompanies him to his German homeland, where a promising future awaits. In the thriving intellectual culture of 1930s Berlin, the newlyweds create a rich new life filled with love, friendships, and rewarding work—but the rise of a malevolent new political faction inexorably changes their fate.

As Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party wield violence and lies to seize power, Mildred, Arvid, and their friends resolve to resist. Mildred gathers intelligence for her American contacts, including Martha Dodd, the vivacious and very modern daughter of the US ambassador. Her German friends, aspiring author Greta Kuckoff and literature student Sara Weitz, risk their lives to collect information from journalists, military officers, and officials within the highest levels of the Nazi regime.

For years, Mildred’s network stealthily fights to bring down the Third Reich from within. But when Nazi radio operatives detect an errant Russian signal, the Harnack resistance cell is exposed, with fatal consequences." - back cover

My Thoughts

I loved everything about this book. The story was gripping, the characters realistic and relatable, and it's a WWII novel unlike any I have read before. It is set in Germany and is told from the perspective of different women living in Germany during Hitler's rise to power and during the war.

 I have often read WWII novels set in concentration camps or in England, highlighting the plights of the people being persecuted and attacked by the war. It is really intriguing to read about people living in Germany who did not condone or understand the support that the Nazis were receiving from so many of the German citizens, or why the League of Nations did so little to stop their rise to power. It shows just how easily a democratic country can slip into a fascist dictatorship if people stand by and let it happen. 

The four main women depicted in the story are all working to overthrow the Nazi regime. Mildred is an American ex-pat living in Germany with her antifascist German husband. Greta is a german-born student who studied in Wisconsin, having met Mildred and her husband during her time there. Sara is a native German whose family loses everything as the rights of Jewish people are taken away one-by-one. Finally, Martha is the daughter of the American ambassador living with her parents and brother in Germany while their father performs his duties. Three of the women are based on actual historical figures, and Sara is based on many Jewish women living in Germany at the time.

Reading about their resistance efforts in a time when being caught was treason and almost certain death is unbelievable. They believed in the good and beautiful Germany of their youths and were fighting against the horrific actions of the barbaric group allowed to take over the government.



Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above