Do not give up on this book until you reach Homer and give a portion with Homer a try. And if you are struggling with print, try the audio, Robin Miles is a gem of a narrator. This book is so well written and so loaded that I am still fully processing it after finishing it on the weekend. It is truly complex, and hardly any characters fit a neat category of truly good and truly bad. The novel focuses on the women of this community that is usually lead by men. ( )

Stunned. Breathless. Enraged. Hurt. Overwhelmed.

One of the most brutal stories I have ever encountered. I was physically shaking by the end. ( )

Parts of this novel did not go where I thought they would and I was a little let down, but did not care that much since the power of the female characters was so intense and compelling.

This book is written in two dialects- that of the slaves and that of the white people. The way that James manipulates these two dialects in the narrative is masterful and potent. It adds a subtle nuance to the questions of identity, race, and interrelationships that blew my mind.

By no means a light read, but very satisfying. ( )

This book will haunt you. It hurts your very soul. ( )

between 4.5 and 5 stars. whew, this book is rough. and so powerful and well-done. i wish i had time to read it slowly, because i'm sure i missed stuff; there are so many layers and there is so much going on here. i will have to read it again one day.

there are so many strong women in this, in their individuality, in their sisterhood, in their strength. some of the language used to describe such atrocities is strangely beautiful. (for example, the quilt of scars (from whipping) on the backs of homer and lilith.)

there is so much detail of the violence (physical and sexual) that goes on. at times it's really hard to bear, but it's so important to voice this history and this truth, and for white people to listen and hold it. (there's no reason to further traumatize people of color, who already intimately know this history.) the narrator's voice is such a strong one to bring us this history. and of the narration - it's in dialect, which also makes this hard to read, although of course that gets easier as you go on.

this is a tough, but really good, read. i have to admit that i don't often like stories with main female characters or voices written by men, but james really does something remarkable here. this is so impressive.

"Some white man jaw drop with outrage but sooner or later a black apple pass by and they can't resist."

"'Make me tell you something else 'bout reading. You see this? Every time you open this you get free. Freeness up in here and nobody even have to know you get free but you.'"

"'White man is beast either way. Nothing you can change 'bout him. But you can change plenty 'bout you. Regard that a while.'"

the audio is voiced by robin miles and holy shit she is amazing. i mean for real. the number of accents and voices she brings to life is incredible. i may not have connected so much with this book if not for her reading of it. (it's hard to say/know.) i will seek out the books she voices just for her. ( )