Review by Wisteria Leigh
Posted on | March 2, 2009 | 2 Comments
The Historical Novels Review Online (a service of the Historical Novel Society) has just published a review by Wisteria Leigh. The complete review can be found at the Review (http://historicalnovelsociety.org/hnr-online.htm) and at Wisteria Leigh’s blog for February 15, where you can find a cornucopia of information, reviews, conversation, interviews, and book suggestions. Here are a few excerpts from her review.
“The theme is about the connectivity we have to our world and how the earth binds us to each other. …”
“The author’s strength is his subtle symbolism threaded throughout, beginning with his choice of title, Red Clay, Blood River. He has planned his flow of symbols to show connections between people. The character of Thembinkosi is enchanting and regal, yet a slave, who withstood so much and complained so little. Her strength, beauty, and soul out-shined all others…”
“It is a story of inspiration, love, romance, and hope with a message given that deep relationships can form with others when we eliminate the lines, borders, and walls that prevent connections.”
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2 Responses to “Review by Wisteria Leigh”
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William J. Everett
In my teaching career I authored eight books and numerous articles in social ethics and religion. After over thirty years of academic work — in Germany, India, and South Africa as well as in the United States — I wanted to turn my hand to a poetically written novel to probe the issues of ecological and human reconciliation.
When I am not writing, I create furniture for worship settings. For more about my work, go to www.WisdomsTable.net, where you will also find galleries of artwork by my wife Sylvia, whose ancestors were the original inspiration for Red Clay, Blood River. Click to read my complete bio...
Red Clay Blood River
Red Clay, Blood River is a story told by Earth about two brothers from Germany and an enslaved South African woman whose lives bind together America’s “Trail of Tears” and South Africa’s simultaneous “Great Trek” of 1838. Memories of their journeys through oppression, estrangement and reconciliation reverberate in the lives of three contemporary students brought together by their interests in ecology. Through their often difficult friendship and a surprising discovery they begin to unravel the mystery of their estrangements, struggles, and deep connections to each other and to the earth.
Based on extensive research in the United States, South Africa, and England, this book takes readers through a sweeping saga of love and conflict in the context of emigration, invasion, slavery, and exploitation. Through its stories we are invited to see our fractured human history from within the sensibilities of an earth that seeks the flourishing of all creatures and transcends their deaths within its life.
I welcome you to read Excerpts from Red Clay Blood River.
You can also view some Reader's Responses to the book.
If you are already reading Red Clay, Blood River, check out the Reader's Guide and Glossary of Names.
If you are in a Book Club, go to the Guide for Discussion Groups.
If you want to know more about people who helped me in writing this book check out the People Present at the Creation.
March 4th, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
Hi William, I was so surprised to see that you had such a nice post about my blog and the review on your blog. Thank you so much. It is awesome to actually talk— email to you. It is ironic that I would review this book as my grad class was just discussing Thomas Jefferson. One particular essay spoke of his attempt at domesticating the Indian culture by teaching spinning to the women and placing the men in the fields. It was then that the Indians decided it was better to have a slave do the work of a woman than have to do woman’s work. The plan back-fired and slavery became a part of the Cherokee and other Indian groups.
Please feel free to email me. I thank you again for the post and happy you like the review of your wonderful book. …Wisteria
March 12th, 2009 @ 10:34 am
Yes, Wisteria, thanks for your response and further comment on the evolution of slavery among the Cherokee. The full story is in Theda Perdue, Slavery and the Evolution of Cherokee Society 1540-1866 (University of Tennessee Press, 19790 and Rudi Halliburton, Jr., Red Over Black: Black Slavery Among the Cherokee Indians (Westport: Greenwood, 1977). Rifts over slavery persist to this day, leading most recently to the vote in the Cherokee Nation (now contested in court) to remove Cherokee citizenship from the descendants of slaves who were earlier granted citizenship. This is a briar patch I may never climb out of!
I’m amazed that you have time for teaching and all the reading and reviewing you do!
Stay in touch and on line.
In the net,
Bill