Book of the Little axe

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Francis-Sharma, Lauren, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Francis-Sharma, Lauren
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Francis-Sharma, Lauren	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Francis-Sharma, Lauren	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Francis-Sharma, Lauren	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"In 1796 Trinidad, young Rosa Rendón quietly but purposefully rebels against the life others expect her to lead. Bright, competitive, and opinionated, Rosa sees no reason she should learn to cook and keep house, for it is obvious her talents lie in running the farm she, alone, views as her birthright. But when her homeland changes from Spanish to British rule, it becomes increasingly unclear whether its free black property owners--Rosa's family among them--will be allowed to keep their assets, their land, and ultimately, their freedom. By 1830, Rosa is living among the Crow Nation in Bighorn, Montana, with her children and her husband, Edward Rose, a Crow chief. Her son Victor is of the age where he must seek his vision and become a man. But his path forward is blocked by secrets Rosa has kept from him. So Rosa must take him to where his story began and, in turn, retrace her own roots, acknowledging along the way the painful events that forced her from the middle of an ocean to the rugged terrain of a far-away land."-- Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Complicated but Insightful Historical Fiction submitted by sdunav on June 11, 2021, 12:40pm This is the complicated story of a woman born in the late 1700's in Trinidad and her son, who grew up in Montana in the early 1800's. It's is a violent story, but sometimes beautiful, especially when describing the land and how various families live on it. The characters are complex, and not entirely likeable, which made it difficult for me to care what happened to them at times, and the narrative structure, which frequently jumps thirty years back in time, and through three different major characters, can be hard to follow.

Slavery, colorism, women's roles in different societies, family relationships and jealousy, farming and raising horses, and hunting and fur trading all play important roles in the story. It was an often dark story, but ultimately one I'm glad I read.