LondaLocs

W A S H

Unfortunately, that is what this book ended up being for me. It's a total wash. Started with a unique premise, but did not live up to my expectations.

The format was a WASH. I did not like the lack of chapters and the constant narration changes. They were confusing especially since the characters voices were not well developed. I would sometimes forget who was speaking, and that should never be an issue in a book about slavery.

The storyline was a WASH. There was no real plot, and even though that can work for some novels, it really does not work for this one. It meandered along and gave me no real motivation for following it.

The most interesting parts of this book involved the relationship between Wash and Pallas. The author very cleverly intertwined their stations in life, and their love story was believable and beautifully written. I wish a greater portion of the novel had been dedicated to their romance instead of other storylines like Richardson's war experiences that I was NOT interested in at all.

I kept feeling as though Wrinkle wanted to elicit some level of pity for Richardson (slave owner) and it kept coming across as justifications for the institution of slavery. At one point, Wash pities the poor white folks for having so much freedom. I suspect Wrinkle's intentions were to humanize Richardson, but it was not succesful.

I have read quite a few historical fiction novels dedicated to slavery. This one falls flat for me, and I would probably not recommend it when there are so many others that deal with the subject better.