Our Traveling Shelf discussion

This book was definitely not what I was expecting! I really liked that we got perspectives from different characters in the book because it explained their actions a lot more and I wish that there would have been more of that. It was an absolutely heartbreaking book and Cora was an incredible, strong character. It gave me a different idea of that time, of slavery, and of freedom. It also discussed the dynamics within the slaves and African American and it was interesting to read of an African American helping to hunt runaways down. One of the most shocking parts of the book was when Cora goes to the doctor and we find out that they are trying to convince all the women to get surgery. They are trying so hard to make it seem like positive and vital to their futures when in reality it's for the benefit of the white community. There was a lot to think about in this book, and I really enjoyed it!

To be honest this book was slow for me at the beginning. However, as it went on you begin to feel a connection with the main characters and you’re just hoping and praying for the main characters to make it out of their awful (doesn’t even describe it) plantation life.

Like Caro stated, one of the shocks was when this so called “safe place” covered up them trying to white wash the African American community. While the trade offs were education, providing decent jobs, housing, etc. it was mostly trying to push for a very white agenda. For example, African American women having surgeries to not have children. And doing medical testing on African American men and women with the syphilis outbreak and performing fake treatments (I have a lot of feelings about this section of the book).

Anyways, it was a great read and extremely heart wrenching, makes you hate humanity with some slight bits of joy. It makes you feel a lot basically. I would recommend reading this book.