Announced June 20, 2001
About the Book
Lalita Tademy had always been fascinated by stories of her great-grandmother Emily — a strikingly beautiful, high-spirited woman who had stared down adversity. As she set out to research her family's history, she discovered astonishing truths about her ancestors — proud and fiercely determined women born into slavery. The quest to understand the realities of their lives took her back to an isolated, close-knit community along a river in central Louisiana, where white plantation owners, free people of color, and slaves once coexisted in convoluted and often non-stereotypical ways. To her surprise, Tademy found herself walking away from a coveted job in Silicon Valley to tell the stories of the remarkable women of her past. The result is a compelling, heartfelt, and sweeping American saga, Cane River.
An epic work of fiction deeply rooted in historical fact, Cane River spans a hundred turbulent years to trace the lives of women who battled unspeakable injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement. Opening in 1834 on a medium-size Creole plantation worked by French-speaking slaves, the novel boldly explores the intricate relationships between slaves and slave owners, and provocative issues of class and racism within the black community. With profound insight into the social hierarchies and everyday brutalities, the emotional complexities and agonizing choices, Tademy vividly captures the resilience and courage of four generations of flesh-and-blood women.
The Women of Cane River
Cane River begins with Elisabeth — Tademy's great-great-great-great-grandmother — and focuses on three women marked by her strength, her pride, and her instinct for survival.
Suzette
Elisabeth's youngest daughter, and the first to discover the promise — and heartbreak — of freedom. Determined to speak cultured French and receive Holy Communion in a church, Suzette dreams of marrying a boy from the gens de couleur libre — the free people of color. At the age of fourteen, she wakes up to the nightmare of bearing the child of the French man who forced himself upon her. She vows to give her daughter the life and the love she could only imagine.
Philomene
Suzette's alluring, strong-willed, and resourceful daughter. Against her mother's wishes, Philomene loses her heart and virginity to a handsome, dark-skinned slave — before her fifteenth birthday. After suffering a series of crushing blows and unspeakable losses, she sets her mind on ensuring her family's protection. Leveraging her gift for "glimpsing" into the future and the lust of a prominent, long married, and childless French land owner, Philomene finds a way to gain unheard of economic independence and give her precious daughter the promise of a better life.
Emily
Philomene's beautiful and cherished daughter — and the first of her family to be born a free woman. Protected by her mother and adored by her white father, Emily grows up full of laughter and confidence. Sent to school in New Orleans, she learns to read — and wins the heart of her father's young friend, an up-and-coming French businessman. Defying society, Emily and her young man, Joseph, live together as husband and wife — even if the law forbids their marriage. The decision has tragic consequences. Emily faces the harsh reality — and danger —of racism. With the help of her family, she fights to secure her children's just due and preserve their future. Bringing to life a slice of American history at once devastating and uplitfing, Cane River is a completely absorbing and deeply affecting work. The women who changed the life of Lalita Tademy will touch the hearts of readers, and continue to inspire great admiration and thoughtful reflection long after the final page.
About The Author
Lalita Tademy left her job as vice-president of Sun Microsystems in 1995 to devote her energy to untangling the roots of her family tree and telling the remarkable story of her ancestors. The result is her first book, Cane River.
Get more resources on Cane River, an Oprah's Book Club selection.
View the Complete Oprah's Book Club List.
Lalita Tademy had always been fascinated by stories of her great-grandmother Emily — a strikingly beautiful, high-spirited woman who had stared down adversity. As she set out to research her family's history, she discovered astonishing truths about her ancestors — proud and fiercely determined women born into slavery. The quest to understand the realities of their lives took her back to an isolated, close-knit community along a river in central Louisiana, where white plantation owners, free people of color, and slaves once coexisted in convoluted and often non-stereotypical ways. To her surprise, Tademy found herself walking away from a coveted job in Silicon Valley to tell the stories of the remarkable women of her past. The result is a compelling, heartfelt, and sweeping American saga, Cane River.
An epic work of fiction deeply rooted in historical fact, Cane River spans a hundred turbulent years to trace the lives of women who battled unspeakable injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement. Opening in 1834 on a medium-size Creole plantation worked by French-speaking slaves, the novel boldly explores the intricate relationships between slaves and slave owners, and provocative issues of class and racism within the black community. With profound insight into the social hierarchies and everyday brutalities, the emotional complexities and agonizing choices, Tademy vividly captures the resilience and courage of four generations of flesh-and-blood women.
The Women of Cane River
Cane River begins with Elisabeth — Tademy's great-great-great-great-grandmother — and focuses on three women marked by her strength, her pride, and her instinct for survival.
Suzette
Elisabeth's youngest daughter, and the first to discover the promise — and heartbreak — of freedom. Determined to speak cultured French and receive Holy Communion in a church, Suzette dreams of marrying a boy from the gens de couleur libre — the free people of color. At the age of fourteen, she wakes up to the nightmare of bearing the child of the French man who forced himself upon her. She vows to give her daughter the life and the love she could only imagine.
Philomene
Suzette's alluring, strong-willed, and resourceful daughter. Against her mother's wishes, Philomene loses her heart and virginity to a handsome, dark-skinned slave — before her fifteenth birthday. After suffering a series of crushing blows and unspeakable losses, she sets her mind on ensuring her family's protection. Leveraging her gift for "glimpsing" into the future and the lust of a prominent, long married, and childless French land owner, Philomene finds a way to gain unheard of economic independence and give her precious daughter the promise of a better life.
Emily
Philomene's beautiful and cherished daughter — and the first of her family to be born a free woman. Protected by her mother and adored by her white father, Emily grows up full of laughter and confidence. Sent to school in New Orleans, she learns to read — and wins the heart of her father's young friend, an up-and-coming French businessman. Defying society, Emily and her young man, Joseph, live together as husband and wife — even if the law forbids their marriage. The decision has tragic consequences. Emily faces the harsh reality — and danger —of racism. With the help of her family, she fights to secure her children's just due and preserve their future. Bringing to life a slice of American history at once devastating and uplitfing, Cane River is a completely absorbing and deeply affecting work. The women who changed the life of Lalita Tademy will touch the hearts of readers, and continue to inspire great admiration and thoughtful reflection long after the final page.
About The AuthorLalita Tademy left her job as vice-president of Sun Microsystems in 1995 to devote her energy to untangling the roots of her family tree and telling the remarkable story of her ancestors. The result is her first book, Cane River.
Get more resources on Cane River, an Oprah's Book Club selection.View the Complete Oprah's Book Club List.
Published 06/20/2001
