Brenna B. (demiducky25) reviewed on 11/22/2008 + 161 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

At under 100 pages, this book is a very quick read. Although there are some mix-ups with dates (either confusion describing the timeline of certain events or discrepancies of dates given in two different spots in the book) and a few editing errors, this book was an interesting read, probably meant to be of local interest (I live nowhere near VA, but had ordered the book from another PBS member because it intrigued me). Mr. Russell's book is essentially 3 separate stories. The first account (the first few chapters) concerns Caroline Terry's life (his great-grandmother), both as a slave and as a free woman. This amazing woman lived to be 108 years old and didn't seem to lose the feisty spirit she had throughout her whole life. Mr. Russell also explains certain historical events such as the Civil War and the publishing of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to give a better sense of what was going on in the country to give greater depth to what he is trying to convey from his great-grandmother's life. The second part of the book focuses on Mr. Russell's grandfather (son-in-law of Caroline) and how he built a life for himself and his family as a successful black man during the time of segregation. The final section of the book deals with Mr. Russell's own life, what it was like to grow up in a segregated world, his experiences in WWII, and other aspects of his life.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details