Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really struggled with this one. The characters were incredibly unlikable. I just could not connect with this story.

It was okay, but I couldn't connect with the story. I am a history lover and tho here felt more like a documentary than a work of fiction.

DNF - I could not connect with the approach to this story & ultimately am not able to finish reading it.

This was a heartbreaking and difficult book to read. Well written.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley for this eARC in advance.

Sorry, this book was a DNF. I did not enjoy what I read in this book at all.

I wanted to like this one but it took way too long to get into, and because of the size, I didn’t see myself making it to the end. I was drawn to the sibling plot but it didn’t work for me.

This book is listed as being powerful, and it truly was. I went through all kinds of emotions while reading this book, and cried many time, I actually lost count. Although I was hoping for a different ending, it is what it is and I still enjoyed the story. It was truly an enlightening historical read. I'm still thinking about the characters long after I've finished he book. It was such a captivating story, and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

I received a copy of the book via Net galley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

Dnf @ 14%

I did not enjoy what I read of this book at all. The sisters that the story is about are annoying, especially Folashade. She is supposed to be 14 but behaves like a 9 year old. The author tells us the sisters are close but there was no evidence of that before we were dropped into the brutal and dark portions of the book.

It's strange that the author spent a whole chapter talking about how learned the people of Timbuktu were, but the main characters act like they have never seen or heard ...

⭐⭐⭐

I am not sure what to say about this one. It was just SO hard to get through. Not because it was a badly written book, but the subject matter and how graphic it was, made it extremely triggering. This story is about author's own family and definitely not for the faint of heart. Proceed with caution.

Graphic depictions of rape, mass death, mutilation.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This book really took my emotions to another level. Reading about young girls being raped repeatedly and then put on a ship to America to become slaves was a bit hard to read. Overall it was a good powerful story that will stay with me for some time. Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the opportunity to read this book and provide my unbiased opinion.

Ok…I’m honestly unsure of how to feel about this book. Going into it I knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about the era/the middle passage etc… But the synopsis had that hook that drew me in.
We follow sisters, young in age, that are kidnapped and used.
There’s got to be a TW here as it focuses on rape, torture, FGM and so on.
Unfortunately, this also takes up a lot of the story in the book, and it’s extremely graphic in nature.
I totally understand that that sort of thing happened and frequently. I understand that the stories need to be told and people now need to be made aware of it.
But did it need to be this graphic? Did it need so much of it in the book?
Honestly. I just don’t know. The story is well written, there’s no arguing that. The author has created a book that is extremely uncomfortable for the reader and it’s definitely not for everybody.
It’s hard to say you “liked” a book like this, but….it’s a challenging read, with extreme graphic content, but really well written.
Because of this, I feel like I can recommend it, but clearly it won’t be for everyone.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

Scattered Seed by Francine Thomas Howard. Pub Date: August 2, 2o22. Rating: 3 stars. In a harrowing story, this book delves into the origins of slavery through the Middle Passage. Focused around three sisters, this is the story of a time in history that is painful, heartbreaking and traumatic. The three sisters who come from affluence are captured and entered into the slave trade with ultimate sacrifices to be made. This story is not for the faint of heart and has many gruesome scenes with trigger warnings of rape, sexual assault and violence. I think this book is educational in the fact that it is based off of the author's family history with emphasis on telling the pure truth of the time period no matter how difficult it is to read. Delicate subject matter, but important to shed light on to not forget history. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #scatteredseed #netgalley

TW for sexual violence and more

Scattered Seed explores the horrors of the middle passage through the eyes of three sisters from Timbuktu. I wanted to love this. I really did. After all, the author is an OT (like me!) who drew on her own ancestry and the topics are extremely important.

Unfortunately the entirety of the book focuses on mutilation, rape, and abuse. I think it’s important to know the full story of what happened and a few scenes would have been understandable, but I really needed some closed door moments. I ended up having to skim parts because I was utterly overwhelmed by constant graphic descriptions of violence interrupting what might have been a solid plot. I’d hoped to connect with the characters more but at the end of the day, I did learn something and I’m grateful for that.

My interest in Scattered Seed by Francine Thomas Howard was piqued when the book blurb cited the story was drawn from her ancestry. The premise seemed to add it would delve into some aspects of history, as well. While I find her scholarship and dedication to the African Diaspora admirable, I found this offering underwhelming. Perhaps others who are not familiar with the First and Middle passages may glean cursory knowledge from reading this novel; I doubt anyone with a notion of familiarity would learn anything significant or insightful.

The story opens with 14-year-old Folashade, the youngest of three sisters of Mali “royalty” (their lineage is unnecessarily repeated throughout the story), attempting to thwart an unwanted bethrotal and inevitable female circumcision procedure that must occur prior to marriage. Her father, having married off the two older sisters, has delayed as long as he could with Folashade, his favorite; after all the procedure should have been done four years prior. He is adamant that both must be done despite a promise to his deceased wife who died from complications of such a procedure.

While vacationing, the sisters are kidnapped along with servants while awaiting a rendezvous with their husband’s families. The First Passage is detailed vividly as they traverse for a few months over land to Goree Island in Dakar, Senegal. The two eldest sisters endure humiliation and rape; one coping with an escape into madness, the other attempts cunning and defiance as a balm. Folashade seemingly falls away as a backdrop. The transatlantic Middle Passage to the Americas is again marked by even more graphic scenes of rape, acts of depravity and sexual torture by sadistic and vile captors before their fates are sealed on the auction block in Louisiana – not without some unrealistic (almost to the point of absurdity) plot twists and turns.

While it solidly contributes to the horrors, inhumanity, and brutality of the slave trade, this book chooses to focus on three descendants who spend most of the book hoping for rescue and naively attempting to reason with their captors for their freedom and safe return to Timbuktu. In principle, it’s understandable and plausible; however, in execution it fails.

Granted, this is a work of fiction and the author has every right to use their creative licenses as they see fit; but there were many instances in which I had to suspend belief just to get through the story, skim passages which were pages of repetitive bickering, and struggle to maintain interests with the lead protagonists who were not endearing in the least. Sure, they are “princesses” - but their haughtiness, attitudes of entitlement, condescending demeanor, and belief that they’d be rescued were sustained too long considering the mental, physical, and emotional damage they endured – after months of hardship, the realities of horror, death, violence, and starvation and sexual subjugation experienced along the journey - I would think they would be humbled – the arrogance would be bumped down a few notches; but instead, it persisted. Another nit is the uneveness of delivery - for example, author spends quite a bit of time on the subject of female circumcision: the differing options of what parts can be removed, why their culture demands it should be done, implied depictions regarding the damage in sexual function, physical scarification and the repulsion European men felt toward women who had endured the procedure.

Another issue is the convenient epiphany at the rather rushed ending, where a character who spent most of the novel in a fugue state suddenly comes to her senses (literally) during the last minutes to offer uncharacteristically sage advice in the proverbial “eleventh hour.” The novel then ends abruptly on a cliffhanger as the women depart with their “owners,” men of different cultures, ethnicities, and professions (a Latin/Hispanic planter, a French furrier, and a Native American) implying the separation of the sisters forever. Thus upon their arrival in America after a hellacious capture and journey; their final fates are unknown to the reader. I suppose I expected a bit more closure; but respect the author’s decision to end the novel as she chooses.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

I was really interested to start this book as I’ve never read a novel about the Middle Passage but have briefly studied it in the past. It features 14 year old Folashade and her two older sisters - all African princesses from Timbuktu in the early 1700s. They are travelling to Djenne for Folashade to endure FGM, which signifies her imminent womanhood.

However, the three are kidnapped by slave traders, along with the rest of their company. The book goes on to detail their journey, and their attempts to escape to safely.

Of course, due to the nature of the book, there are so many trigger warnings including rape, torture, violence, death. So it’s definitely not an easy read, and that’s something to think about before picking it up.It’s also based on the authors ancestors, which gives an extra dimension.

I’m saying that, I wish I could say that it was a book that would stay with me but I just didn’t connect with the narrator at all. I’ll give this 3 stars but it’s more 2.5. I would definitely be interested in reading more about the era though.

I feel that something would be morally wrong to say that this book was good.

I think the proper term to use here would be “Educational”? Then again, I am not sure if that could be considered proper.

Let us just go with “Uncategorizable”

Thomas Howard gives us one of the most disturbing books I have read to date. Do not get me wrong in any way, there is rape, speaking of rape, but down to graphic details? That is way beyond my comfort level, when it comes to children. Anybody for that matter. Honestly! I was ready to call it quits. I have a daughter and of the thought of anyone kidnapping my baby. Dear GOD! Let me not even let my mind take me there again.

So! The story is set in 1706 Timbuktu, West Africa. 3 Sisters, 14-year-old Folashade is being sent with her 2 older sisters Bibi and Adaeze, for the painful female circumcision. Which they call a ceremony, which happens there when they are on the cusp of womanhood.

However! In Dejenne, the banks of Niger, the 3 sisters and their fellow Bambara are kidnapped. Taken to Goree Island where they are Assaulted, Repeatedly Raped and Tortured. This all happens prior to them being put on a slavers ship headed to America.

Falashade, Bibi and Adaeze plot to do whatever they can, to make sure their memories are kept alive. They have to do this before they are inevitably separated forever.

To know this story is about the authors family is absolutely heartbreaking. However, hard, and hurtful that must have been, I am sure she is grateful to be able to trace that piece of heritage.

So many of us cannot trace our family line because they were not recorded, or they were made to vanish.

Poof!

They cannot claim something that did not exist.

Thank you NetGalley/Francine Thomas Howard/Lake Union Publishing for this eARC in advance. My opinions are of my own volition.

Given the topic of this book, I went in knowing it would be a sobering read. I'm very glad I had a chance to read this and I'd recommend it to others, but with a clear warning on the graphic descriptions the female circumcision and sexual violence.

I struggled with this book and wanted to put it down a few times. That's history though - it's ugly, graphic, and can't be ignored. My reason for four stars was wanting more depth on the sisters' relationship. I appreciate the early copy and the chance to read this.

This is dark and disturbing, so much so that I DNF. No question that this is a fair depiction of the fate of young women forced into enslavement but the assaults and abuse were overwhelming. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Wasn't for me but that doesn't mean it doesn't have an important story to tell.

Scattered Seed is a powerful book set in the 1700s as three sisters are kidnapped from Mali to be sold as slaves. I found that the book was primarily about sexual violence, with the opening chapters focusing on female circumcision and the rest of the book graphicly detailing the rapes and abuse against the sisters.

There were times I wanted to put it down and not finish but I am glad I persevered. These are important and uncomfortable stories that need to be told and whilst it is hard to read, learning from history is necessary.

Unfortunately this one is a DNF for me. I hate DNF’ing but I had too many issues with this book to keep going. The main character is fourteen with three older sisters yet all of them act like children. For their way of life, they should be incredibly mature but are the complete opposite. The characters also had absolutely no depth. We knew their names and that they had a procedure done but nothing else. I could have gotten over the issues with characters but this authors writing style is just not for me. I had a hard time engaging with the writing and just found myself not caring at all.