Sanite, enslaved to a businessman in the French Quarter, struggles against the bonds of slavery. When she walks into the Mockingbird Inn she meets Lenore, a free black woman. The two become friends and Lenore invites her to join a secret society called the Daughters. The Daughters spy and pass their information on to the abolitionists and others fighting against the south.

The book had an odd format, which I did not really like. The beginning was extremely rough, where the story moved back and forth in time without really presenting the characters. Once the book settled on a younger Ady, it began to draw my interest. Overall, I think the book seemed haphazard and ill planned. 3 out of 5 stars.

Ady is a young enslaved woman in New Orleans in the time just before the Civil War. She and her mother dream of freedom and escape from the men who own them and rule their lives, but when her mother dies Ady is left alone and at the mercy of the man who uses her any way he sees fit. When Ady stumbles upon a group of free Black women she is drawn into their efforts to sabotage the Confederacy despite the very real danger such a group can bring. This novel is another look at the evils of slavery at a time and place rarely seen, as well as a look at yet another group that worked to end the practice.

The American Daughters is a beautifully written novel that details the lives of an enslaved woman and her daughter. Ruffin's writing is powerful and evocative, capturing the nuances of each character's experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Thanks to NetGalley and One World for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book did not disappoint. Set in the time of slavery, this story features many strong women -Ady, her mother Sanite and Lenore, a free black woman. The depictions of slavery are brutal and necessary. Ady had everything taken from her, even her name. Ady is determined and literally has nothing to lose when she joins with the group of spys. She is fearless and wants to make a difference which she does. Although it was upsetting to read at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Riveting. Filled with history & imagination & beauty despite brutal repression. I'm rooting for The American Daughters and Maurice Carlos Ruffin is a helluva storyteller.

Ady is not a free woman nor is her mother but she has been given a long leash that allows her to walk the streets of New Orleans where she is housed at her master's townhouse. At the Mockingbird Inn she finds a group of free women who become friends, family and partners in a spy ring to thwart the growing Confederacy. They become her only outlet from a life of pain and a respite from her master. Told in the third person as well as journal entries and imagined research documents from the future this is a story of a group of brave women who risked everything to outsmart the powerful men who held their future in their hands but not their spirit. A story of the horrors of slavery and the power of community told in authentic language. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy

Ady [Adebimpe] and her mother, Sanite, sold to a businessman in the French Quarter of New Orleans, are sometimes leased to others while he, John du Marche, is away. It is a difficult life for the two, made more so by the cruel treatment slavery brings.

When Ady and Sanite are separated, Ady has the good fortune of meeting a free black woman, Lenore. Through her, Ady learns about the Daughters, a secret society of spies.

Will Ady join the Daughters? And will she one day find a path to freedom?

=========

The discovery of Ady’s journal is, according to the prologue, the impetus for the telling of this tale. Unsettling and often cringe-worthy, the narrative shines a line on the cruel and harsh treatment of slaves. What is endured is often painful to read about, difficult to imagine it being endured in real life.

The women are strong characters; The Daughters is an intriguing group that, sadly, almost seems to be an afterthought in the telling of this tale. Readers are likely to wish for more of the narrative to focus on the work of the spy ring as the women battled the Confederacy.

Readers may find the futuristic epilogue a strange choice for concluding the story preceding it. While the historical details are important, the epilogue feels, in many ways, as if it trivializes Ady’s story.

I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group –-- Random House, One World and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#TheAmericanDaughters #NetGalley

Interesting view of New Orleans just before the Civil War. The main character was well-drawn. Her mother was less clear, more vague. Throughout the book, you felt like there was a secret about her, and there was.

It felt like a true-to-life rendering of how slavery worked.

The women banding together to fight for freedom and wreak havoc on slave-holders was awe-inspiring.

I would recommend this book. It would be a good one for book groups. I gave it 4+ stars

This historical fiction, told primarily through Ady's diary, is a vivid portrait of slavery up to and during the Civil War. From her childhood, she and her mother are subjected to intolerable conditions at her owner-father's "slave labor camp also known as plantation." We follow her on her unsuccessful attempt to escape, her loss of her mother, then her capture and enslavement again, this time at her father's New Orleans house. What sets this story apart from others is the introduction of an organization, The American Daughters, a group of women who sabotaged the Confederacy in both subtle and dramatic ways, facilitating the outcome of the Civil War.

The American Daughters provided a previously unknown perspective of this period in history. It would be interesting if the author is planning to expound on the lives of the daughters in future writing.

This was an interesting novel to be sure.
Ady is an interesting character who makes friends along her journey and I found myself enjoying in getting to know this particular character as well.
This is well written story and one I couldn't put down until I finished.
I loved the scenery that was described and I appreciated the author who made me feel a part of Ady's journey.
I loved the cover of the book too.
It definitely is interesting.
Here's a quote that somewhat defined The American Daughters
“It’s good to know how someone acts in a truly perilous situation. You can’t be one of the Daughters if you can’t maintain yourself.”“Daughters?” Ady said. “Nah,” Tremaine said “The Daughters.”“In honor of our mothers,” Lenore said. “It’s one of our codes for identifying who is in our numbers."
And here's another quote one I feel quite strongly about myself.
If I could go back in time I would love to change a few things about my life myself but not possible. So I feel like Ady in that regard
“Sometimes I wish that I could change everything in a blink.” “It may come to that,” Lenore said. “I wouldn’t wager against it.
I love how this novel portrays characters that are not perfect but do everything in their power to help make certain things right.
Not always easy considering that things can awry in a blink of a moment.
I learned a few things while reading this novel that I never heard of before including The American Daughters. Interesting to say the least.
When I first seen this title I was fully expecting something else altogether but as I got immersed into the story I began to understand a lot of things that were happening.
However; I wasn't too crazy about the surprise towards the end. In fact, I was disappointed.
I'm giving this novel a solid 4 stars for the not so good surprise.
For the most part I did enjoy the story until the end.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ady meets Lenore who will change the direction of her life in many ways. I liked this book.

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin tells the coming of age story Ady a slave in New Orleans. I was expecting more story of the spy ring. It seemed like a sub plot. The futuristic ending was definitely interesting. It also seemed like the story ended abruptly. Thank you to NetGallery and One World for letting me read this story in change for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me an arc for this book. It’s one of my most anticipated reads and while I genuinely loved the plot, I wasn’t too fond of the way it was written. Particularly the language or phrasing. And times it felt stilted and disrupted the flow of the storytelling.

Having worked with Maurice Carlos Ruffin during my time at LSU, I was ecstatic to pick up a copy of American Daughters. What I loved most about this novel is the way Ruffin returns agency to Black enslaved women. There is just so much love and resistance in this novel, from Ady's brave forage into the woods to Lenore's fierce independence. I loved how Ruffin complicates our understanding of this period of history by returning agency to historical figures who are often viewed as passive and submissive. The whole idea of an underground spy system led by Black women is amazing! The pacing and the shift from historical fiction to thriller to futuristic academic text kept the text interesting, though the shift could be jarring at times. I liked the inclusion of "real" historical texts between the chapters as a subplot in itself. Overall, this was a dynamic, fun, and uplifting read!

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin is an inspiring story of a young woman realizing her worth and potential. Growing up Ady and her mother Sanite suffer at the hands of a New Orleans businessman. They are very close. When circumstances separate them, Ady is adrift, at a lost and truly alone. Then she meets Lenore, a free black woman. This relationship leads to Ady joining the Daughters, a spy ring. This leads Ady to become the strong woman she was meant to be and to head toward a new and liberating future. The relationship between Ady and her mother is a strong one as well as the relationship with Lenore. A story of strong women who do amazing things. A good historical fiction

The subject matter was promising, a good premise, generations of women working to end slavery. I’m sad to say that the book was disappointing, tedious and repetitive, with awkward, stilted phrasing, a slow plot, an odd ending, and not nearly enough about the American Daughters of the title, about whom I'd like to learn more..

Interesting. I think Mr. Ruffin is now three for three. As he did in We Cast A Shadow, he writes with a confident witty prose that I find engaging and thusly the pages turn quickly. One salient question I have with every book, is why the title? So, here we don’t get the why of the title until we are at the 70% mark!

“ ‘It’s good to know how someone acts in a truly perilous situation. You can’t be one of the Daughters if you can’t maintain yourself.” “Daughters?” Ady said. “Nah,” Tremaine said “The Daughters.’ “

Not a great big deal, but enough to make you wonder what other titles were bandied about. The setup here is we are reading the confessions of Ady, who left a journal of her life circumstances that was later found and novelized. It was embellished, heavily? That question lingers over the novel as we marvel at Ady’s resilience, intelligence, bravery, mettle and determination to survive.

This story of Ady growing up under the foot of enslavement forms the bulk of the novel, and what a journey it is. Ady is tethered to her mother Sanite, who was quite an amazing woman, and never let herself or Ady be diminished by this slavery business that America still has not come to terms with. And in a bit of historical truth hidden by fiction, The American Daughters are representative of a group that tried in various covert ways to undermine and destroy the sordid slavery business. These things are not generally avowed in history books, for obvious reasons, but often are referred to in good historical fiction even if the “historical” is not the genre of the novel. So kudos to Mr. Ruffin for including such treats and treasures and yay, perhaps that’s the reason they, The American Daughters are worthy of a book title!

I just gave myself a ✋🏾 high five. I initially was questioning the title throughout my reading and even in the beginning of this review, but as I was writing it just dawned on me, the title is appropriate and fitting after all!! Thanks to Oneworld books and Netgalley for an advanced DRC, book drops 2/27/24

A battle for freedom so long in coming. Chiseled by vast multitudes of hands. Shaping it in an intense form, that for all of its complexities, should benefit all and everyone without question.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin presents a novel steeped in the historical intricacies of a country elevate, and yet mired, in the happenings of the past. And the realities of such are imprinted by the touch of humanity........dragged down by bottom feeders and pushed to the surface by the angels of hope.

Sanite, an enslaved woman of the Chitimacha tribe, and her ten year old daughter, Ady, stand on the wooden blocks at auction in New Orleans. It's 1851 in a city enmeshed within the times before the Civil War. Sanite's worst imaginings would be separation from her daughter. Master John Du Monde purchases the two of them to work at his plantation in St. Francisville. Du Monde also owns a townhouse in New Orleans. It's here that he has future plans for the mother/daughter. But Sanite has plans of her own.

Ruffin takes us back to the very beginnings of Sanite and her runaway slave husband, James. She chooses her time carefully to reveal to Ady just what life was like before being taken away by slave holders. Ady yearns for a sense of self overshadowed by the constraints of her present life. We, as readers, will be taken with the strength of this character and her profound impact on Ady.

Time passes and Du Monde takes a special interest in Ady. He renames her Antoinette and has her educated as much as the law allows. Ady develops quite the singing voice and the ability to play the piano. She also is taken with writing down her experiences. Ady advances until Du Monde's wife steps in and Ady is relegated to her usual position back at the townhouse.

But Sanite has taught Ady well to be curious and determined. She comes upon a Creole free woman, Lenore, who runs a bar called The Mockingbird in New Orleans. Ady sneaks away to work there when Du Monde visits his plantation. It's here that Ady will incorporate skills that she never thought she was capable of. It is this new vein of life that will have a profound effect on both Ady and so many others in the wheelhouse of encounters.

The American Daughters will set a spark to what actually means to be an American by birth, by blood, by intense fortitude of those who touch its soil. Bravo to Maurice Carlos Ruffin for a job well done and a most memorable read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to One Word Publishing (Random House) and to Maurice Carlos Ruffin for the opportunity.

Set in pre-civil war New Orleans, The American Daughters is the story of Ady, an enslaved woman who with a group of women called The Daughters do their bit to end slavery in the US. It's part historic fiction, part love story, and part mystery. All of the characters are well-written and complicated. There's quite a surprise at the end of the book. This would be a really good book fro book groups.