When Professor Robin Greene tells a freshman composition class about her scholarly interest in women's narratives; Samantha Henderson; an African American student; invites Greene to meet her grandmother and to listen to a series of reel-to-reel tapes that both Samantha and her grandmother insist should be part of the official WPA archive of ex-slave narratives. Intrigued; Greene accepts the challenge of authenticating the recordings; but after a full year of unproductive exchanges with historians and archivists; a frustrated Greene decides to transcribe the tapes and to publish the resulting narrative so that readers may judge for themselves if the tapes are-or are not-authentic. In her transcription; Greene presents the first-person account of Sarah Louise Augustus; who comes of age during the Civil War and whose story involves a head-on collision with the moral ambiguities of slavery. Readers follow Sarah Louise as she becomes Augustus-the name she assumes when she takes control of her destiny. Her story begins in the antebellum period and unfolds as Augustus recollects a brutal war and its social carnage. Readers also discover the connections that bind Greene; Sarah Louise; Samantha; and Samantha's grandmother-for these women; surprisingly; share much in common. As a work of historical fiction; Greene's account focuses light on black feminism; on race-specific reactions to historical inquiry; on sexuality and rape; and on the quest for identity. And Greene; who in "real life" teaches English and Writing at Methodist University; becomes Professor Greene; the fictional narrator whose story frames the narrative and whose own scholarly need for authenticity and precision nearly costs her more than she is willing to lose.
#1298595 in Books 2011-09-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.26 x 2.00 x 6.36l; 2.57 #File Name: 1933337443630 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent!By Iggity7Very informative; we'll documented; and written in a personal and engaging manner. Many photographs; most of which I had never seen in other works on the same area of interest. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War in Louisiana.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good ReadBy Evan M. EllisEXCELLENT Book dealing with little known Trans-Miss campaigns in 1863. A good read.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. ExcellentBy NedBThis is his second book on the Civil War in Louisiana and covers just a four-month time frame from February to May 1863. I suspect that most who are interested in the Civil War know little about the action in southern Louisiana during early 1863. This book is an excellent narrative of that time. Frazier's writing has a nice pace to it and he is descriptive enough so the reader understands the action without getting bogged down in the detail. His description of the naval actions and the battles of Fort Bisland and Irish Bend are engaging and exciting. In addition to describing the fighting and command decisions; Frazier fits in observations about the destructive nature of war; such as the plundering of the countryside by US troops and the impact of enlisting former slaves into the US army. He skillfully balances the micro-narrative with the big picture. Obscure cavalry actions are described in action-packed detail while at the same time the regional strategic situation is clearly explained. Likewise; the maps are simple; clear but with enough key information to help the reader. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to Frazier's next work.
