Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen
A Novel
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کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
Starred review from July 9, 2018
Bird’s rich historical novel (after Above the East China Sea) is a layered study of post-Civil War America from the imagined perspective of remarkable Buffalo Soldier Cathy/Cathay Williams, the first woman to serve in the legendary all-black cavalry and infantry. Mining the rich terrain of Civil War military history, the nation’s western expansion and clashes with Native Americans, and the fraught issues of gender and race relations, Bird frames an epic romantic tale around Williams. It tracks her life from the time she’s taken from her family as “contraband” by the Union Army in the waning days of the Civil War, to her service as a cook’s aide to Gen. Philip Sheridan, to her illicit enlistment in the Army—disguised as William Cathay—and service as a rifleman with the Buffalo Soldiers cavalry. Williams, as narrator, reveals a bravado fueled by her love of dashing Yankee soldier Wager Swayne, hero-worship of Sheridan, and pride in her heritage as the granddaughter of an African queen. Bird’s fast-paced, action-packed story is a bittersweet one—grand love and legacy ultimately eluded Williams—but this fearless, often heartbreaking account sheds a welcome light on an extraordinary American warrior.
Narrator Bahni Turpin beautifully performs this novel based on the real-life story of Cathy Williams, who was born into slavery and "freed" by Union General Philip Sheridan for the purpose of helping his camp cook during the Civil War. Afterwards, Williams became the first woman to serve in the U.S. Army during peacetime. Disguising herself as a man, she served in the cavalry as a Buffalo Soldier for almost two years. Turpin skillfully delivers every nuance of Cathy's emotions--the pain of being separated from her family, the tenderness of first love, the fear of rape, and the determination to pull her weight--as well as the immense cost of her choices. The audiobook includes an interview with the author, who discusses her research. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
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