Books & Audiobooks
Anyone who has read my previous reviews knows that I am a sucker for an artfully crafted piece of literature. The Newer World by Sebastian Barry does not disappoint! I am new to this author but I can’t wait to check out his other offerings as his writing is exquisite. Readers advisory: the story reveals some of the most repugnant racism in America’s past, not just to African Americans but also to the Indigenous population.
The tale is told from the perspective of Tennyson Bougereau, a child born into bondage in pre-civil war Tennessee, who spends his days working the tobacco fields belonging to his owner Luther Magan. As Tennyson grows up, he has to find a way to straddle both sides of the conflict, trying desperately to keep his sister and himself out of harms way. The Magan’s lawyer sees the potential in the newly-freed Tennyson and pays for him to attend a music school in Nashville where he learns not only how to read and write but also basics like personal hygiene and other behaviours that will serve him in urban Tennessee and beyond. There begins an epic journey of love, loss and survival as Tennyson’s path takes him from Nashville, to Europe and back to army camps in New Mexico and South Dakota. Throughout it all, in spite of the enormous racial challenges he faces, Tennyson’s heart always steers the way.