Cane River

One of my most favorite books of all time is The Living by Annie Dillard , a novel chronicling several generations of settlers on the Washington coast in the late 19th century. Cane River by Lalita Tademy reminded me of The Living. Cane River is based on the author's own family history in Cane River, Louisiana. She researched her family ancestry and fictionalized three generations of women-- all born slaves.

I was surprised that slavery was not just "black and white"-- there were freed colored people (presumably blacks, native Americans and those of mixed background) who themselves were sometimes slave owners. And, it was not uncommon for white men to have families with slaves-- sometimes freeing the children or giving them land and other benefits. Surprisingly, this became less acceptable over time, so that the most recent generation (early to mid 20th century), represented by Emily (despite having the most "white" blood in her), bore the brunt of what we recognize as modern racism.

Elisabeth, her daughter Suzette, her daughter Philomene and finally, her daughter Emily are all focused that family is what matters most. They each learn early on that although their white masters might be "generous" to them, they are slaves and their loyalty must ultimately be to each other. They keep each other close and work to ensure that future generations will be better off (ie, owning land, being able to read, and even passing for white).

Like Almodovar's movie Volver, the women in Cane River run the show; men are not incidental, but they are used and manipulated to further advance the families of the women of Cane River. At one point, a census taker comes and records all the generations of women living in Suzette's home-- not a man living among them.

This very nearly was an uplifting book, but for where the book dropped off, in the late 1930's. We know that times would only become more difficult for African Americans, but given the author's own experience and success, we know these generations of women accomplished their goals.

Netflix rating: 4/5 stars.