Maurice Carlos Ruffin continues to deliver with his newest novel The American Daughters which blends historical fiction with perhaps something of a supernatural/fantastical element. This does not come as a surprise considering his previous novel We Cast a Shadow. In this new novel, we meet Ady and her mother Sanited who are sold together to a rich man Du Marche who has a home in New Orleans as well as a plantation in the country. He places the two women in his city home, where they are forced to tend to the home and to him. After horrible circumstances, they escape into the wildness of Louisiana in hopes of getting to free land. I do not feel like I'm spoiling the book to say things do not go to plan and much of the novel is spent with Ady developing relationships with free Black individuals in New Orleans, including being let in on a spy network who are trying to undermine the confederates as the northern army approaches. Interspersed throughout the novel are documents from the future that try to piece together Ady and Sanited's story and the ending of the book is deliciously open-ended. Another success for Maurice Carlos Ruffin who is an auto buy for me!

Thank you to One World for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. It has many of the elements I am drawn to....a plucky, resourceful heroine who survives horrible life events, spies, a Civil War setting. However, this book fell somewhat short for me.
First, it was very long. Significant attention was given to Ady and her early life with her mother. This was probably necessary to develop her character, but it felt like much of this could have been referenced in a more succinct fashion. I normally enjoy meandering narratives. However, this half of the book was not compelling to me. The second half of the book really picked up and the events kept my interest.

Additionally, flashbacks  that were interwoven with the narrative were sometimes tricky to navigate. It would have been helpful  if these had been more clearly marked with italics or spacing.

The ending was another issue for me. It seemed too abrupt, for one thing (the last few pages) The plan concocted by the spies was very clever: the women orchestrated the poisoning of several important Confederate men. Then they left the scene of the crime and hid in a white friend's home until all slaves were declared free by the Union soldiers who conquered New Orleans.  They then  just continued their lives as free people. While this is a triumphant, satisfying ending, it didn't seem completely realistic to me. Surely, there would have been some sort of  investigation and these women would have been prime suspects. Maybe they would have escaped judgement in the chaos. Just adding commentary to this effect would probably satisfied my concerns.

Also, the title was problematic. Calling it " The American Daughters" leads readers to expect that the spy ring would be the focal point of the book. That isn't the case. ( Yes, the two main characters are American Daughters. But this happens or becomes known quite far into the book.);The main group  isn't revealed until two- thirds or more into the text and the members don't really conduct any meaningful operation until the end. It was such an interesting, creative premise. I would have liked more narrative about the group and their activities.
The love affair was nice. However, I struggled with believing that a sophisticated free Black young woman would fall in love with an unsophisticated ( although educated) slave. Maybe that attraction could have been explained and developed more fully. 

The  device of a person discovering diary entries from the past ( eventually those entries are revealed to be Ady's) was very creative and effectively framed the events of the book. I liked how doubt was cast on the authenticity of the story, then more evidence revealed the truths.  This plot element was a highlight for me. I also liked the prose,which was very lush,descriptive, and evocative of the era as well as the setting of New Orleans. Additionally, actual events from the Civil War were effectively embedded in the narrative.

The American Daughters is an ambitious attempt to portray  the horrors of slavery and how determined women sabotaged the system. People interested in this era of history, particularly from the Black perspective, will likely enjoy its creative narrative.

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin started out as a novel of historical fiction, about the life of black women who were raised in southern states of the U.S. during the decades before the Civil War, and a few years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The emphasis was on the lack of freedom and the decisions that they could not make for themselves as the result of having masters who made those decisions. Certainly the story involved sexual abuses, although the author wrote sensibly about that, meaning he left some of the worse cases of abuse to the reader to fill in the facts that were being inferred. But the focus was also on the women who successfully challenged the old order and how they chose to work within the system to do so.

I should have seen it from the first pages in the book when the author gave future references to the material from this antebellum period, about what research had been done to understand the material about 150 years into the future. So, I got lost in the story of Ady who had learned to read and write, and she left behind a diary entitled “Confession of a Freedwoman.” Ruffin told a story about Ady, her mother Sanite, her best friend Lenore, and John du Marche, the master of “the slave labor camp also known as a plantation.” Ruffin wrote of families being broken up as the result of the slaves being sold. He spoke of the slaves’ attempts to reach freedom and their constant preoccupation with that. But he also spoke of the love that the slaves had for each other.

Ady and Lenore joined a secret sisterhood that worked to undermine the Confederates, but they also suffered from trauma and losses as the result of those efforts. The narrative was brilliant and believable. The story got across the trauma of being a slave while not always detailing the too horrible brutality. The author’s prose was beautiful. It’s a stirring story but it was made better when Ruffin, at the end of the novel, set his stage 150 years into the future as people of that era worked to look back at this troublesome era and understand what life was really like in the deep south. That part of the novel is a remarkable tribute to the author’s creativity and imagination. This book gets my strong recommendation.

A character discovers Ady (Adebimpe), an educated enslaved woman's journal. She takes liberties with the notebook, which records major events in Ady's life, from childhood to a life-changing moment in which she asserts her voice and agency, ushering her into maturity and freedom. We discover from remarks at the opening and closing of the book that portions of Ady's account are thought to be inflated or invented, casting doubt on its authenticity. Ady and her mother, Sanite, are hinted to be "untrustworthy" narrators, possibly to protect themselves and their collaborators. Their lives are exciting, and their stories cover many aspects of the enslaved experience; for example, we learn that Sanite was born free into a Maroon community before it was raided; she was a skilled healer who knew about the medicinal properties of plants, and she used that knowledge for both good and evil. We see the lack of power that enslaved women had over their bodies or their children - the law provided no protection against envious mistresses or lustful owners. We flee with them toward freedom, marveling at their cleverness in evading patrollers and catchers, until they don't and we pay the consequences. We see the stark contrast between life and community in slave labor camps known as plantations and the isolation and loneliness of city life confined to a home with restricted and controlled movement. In the enormous melting pot of New Orleans, we meet freedmen, Creoles, Indigenous people, immigrants, and so on.

Although the chapters are fictional, true historical events and facts are mentioned. The Daughters' sabotage, intelligence gathering, and deceit contributed to the Confederacy's demise, and specifically, in this tale, the liberation of New Orleans. There is mention of WEB's double-consciousness and Zora's warning that all "skin folk ain't kinfolk" when we meet Black slave catchers and dishonest "co-workers/fellow enslaved" who give neither companionship nor comfort but rather backstabbing and deception at the worst times. The novel has all the characteristics to be "great," but it fell short for me. I was surprised that we spent so much time with Ady as a child; as a result, the story reads as a "coming of age" story that essentially stops at the brink of adulthood. For the majority of the narrative, Ady behaves like the child she is, and we have to suffer through her blunders of talking too much at the wrong moments and not speaking up when she should. We witness Ady's friendships and romantic relationships, as well as the tangled feelings and confusions that come with them as she struggles with her sexuality. We discover about The Daughters roughly halfway through the book, and tragically, they remain an afterthought, never being the center element of the plot (despite the title). I was eager to learn more about them and the other characters who piqued my interest far more than Ady. Although their exact names, destinies, and contributions have been lost to history, I was left yearning to learn more about them.

This book is meant to be savored as the writing is beautiful. It’s deeply distressing but an important story which gives us a glimpse of the past.

This book pushes all emotions while reading about Ady, an enslaved Black girl raised by her mother, Sanite. She was around 10 years old. John du Marche, Vice Mayor of New Orleans and a leader of the army, purchased Sanite and her daughter in 1851 at an auction. While he owned a sugar cane plantation (also known as a slave labor camp), they were ordered to manage his townhouse. They constantly had dreams and hope for their freedom.

It's hard to imagine the harsh life they had working long hours without shoes or adequate clothes. They slept on hard surfaces and were regarded as low-level servants controlled by their property owner. Yet, Ady survived by singing songs and learning all she could from her adoring mother who taught her about the stars and plants that could heal. She was smart which sometimes got her in trouble with her words. The most important part of life was creating an extended family of friends.

The book was engaging with smooth writing from the beginning although I felt like the last part was rushed. I wanted to learn more about Ady’s life at that time and also about “The Daughters” fighting for their rights. There were a few documents inserted in the story which gave more information about their conditions from a different perspective. The Epilogue presented readers with a lot to digest. This would make an interesting book club discussion.

My thanks to One World and NetGalley with the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 27, 2024.

Well told historically based tale about a network of Creole free women, runaways and slaves secretly aiding the Union during the Civil War. A story of love, strength, survival and sacrifice to the greater good. Interesting epilogue set in the future provides food for thought.

A character discovers a journal of Ady (Adebimpe), an educated enslaved woman. She takes liberties to publish aspects of the journal which chronicles key segments of Ady’s life from childhood to a life-changing moment where she claims her voice and agency launching her into adulthood and freedom. Through reflections at the beginning and end of the book, we learn that aspects of Ady’s story are believed to be embellished or fabricated which casts doubt on its authenticity. It’s implied that Ady and her mother, Sanite, serve as “unreliable” narrators perhaps to protect themselves and their accomplices.

Their lives are quite adventurous and their stories cover many facets of the enslaved experience – for example, we learn that Sanite was born free into a Maroon community before it was raided; she was a skilled healer and knew about the medicinal properties of plants, using that knowledge for good and nefarious purposes. We’re shown the lack of agency that enslaved women had regarding their bodies or their offspring - the law offered no protection from jealous mistresses or lustful owners. We run away with them toward freedom and marvel at their resourcefulness to fend off patrollers and catchers, that is, until they don’t and suffer the consequences with them. We glimpse the vast difference of life and community in slave labor camps called plantations versus the isolation and loneliness of city life confined to a home with limited and controlled movement. We meet freedmen, Creoles, Indigenous people, immigrants, etc. in the great melting pot of New Orleans.

Although fictional, there are actual historical events and facts referenced in the pages. The Daughters' contributions of sabotage, intelligence-gathering, and subterfuge led to the downfall of the Confederacy, and specifically in this novel, the liberation of New Orleans. There is reference to WEB’s double-consciousness and Zora’s warning that all “skinfolk ain’t kinfolk” because we meet Black slave catchers and duplicitous “co-workers/fellow enslaved” who offer no friendship or comfort only backstabbing and deception at the worst times.

The novel has all the elements to be “great,” but for me, it fell short. I was a bit surprised that we spent so much time with Ady as a child, thus the story reads as a “coming of age” story and essentially ends at the cusp of adulthood. Ady behaves as as the child she is for most of the novel - and we have to suffer through her mistakes of talking too much at the wrong times and not speaking up when she should. We experience Ady’s friendships and romantic relationship and all the complicated emotions and confusions it brings as she grapples with her sexuality. It is nearly half-way through the book before we learn about The Daughters and sadly, they still came off as an afterthought, never becoming the focal point of the story (considering the novel’s title). I really wanted to know more about them and the other characters which intrigued me a lot more than Ady. Granted their true names, fates, and contributions are lost to history, but I was left wanting more about them.

Special thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World and netGalley for an opportunity to review.

Unpopular opinion time … I liked the concept of “The American Daughters” by Maurice Carlos Ruffin. Mr. Ruffin writes beautifully. I liked, too, how he wove the horrors of pre-Civil War life (mainly what horrors faced the unfortunate slaves) along with the historical figures and actual history of that time. But among the lovely writing, at times it was too much for me to take in - in other words, I wanted the story without the added fluff of descriptions. I did greatly appreciate that any violence (and there is some) takes place off stage. At times this book moved incredibly slowly, possibly due to the flashbacks taking large chunks of the book; interesting for backfilling stories, but - again - it took away from the main story.

American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin is an inspiring biographical tale featuring grassroots insurgency, sapphic love, the city of New Orleans, and Black wealth and freedom at the onset of the Civil War. [new paragraph] The novel is genre defying, and the narrative is full of surprises. For example, the main storyline gets put on pause a few times for whole chapters dedicated to anachronous and mysterious primary source documents. These documents kept me on my toes, and I kept referring back to them for clues and insight. [new paragraph] I loved how Maurice Carlos Ruffin embraced tenets of the romance genre, including the third-act breakup trope and the traditional, triumphant happy ending. What I loved more were the meaningful twists on these elements. As you might expect from Maurice Carlos Ruffin, there are several deeply enriching surprises. That romance-genre-evoking happy ending, for example, is so much more than it seems. [new paragraph] I liked that this novel had indigenous representation. [new paragraph] While there is sexual assault, it’s off the page. This story is not graphic or sexually explicit. [new paragraph] I thought of Lauren Olamina from Octavia Butler’s Earthseed Series while reading American Daughters. This story’s main character Ady is also a young Black woman in apocalyptic circumstances with admirable vision, wit, grit, softness, and community to get her through. Both books happen to follow the trajectory of a movement led by Black women too. [new paragraph] I very much enjoyed parallels American Daughters has with Orlando by Virginia Woolf, especially because Maurice Carlos Ruffin's We Cast a Shadow satirically evokes Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse. Virginia Woolf, along with Ann Petry, get mentions in the Epilogue.

THE DAUGHTERS OF WARSAW
MARIA FRANCIS




I have read many excellent stories of this historic period in our history with the unbelievable struggles endured by those caught in the Nazi onslaught! None rival the emotions surfacing as I read the words spread across these pages. Ms. Francis grasps your inner most feelings and puts you at the center of the characters lives as they struggle for the safety they desire to provide others. Unbelievable hardships are endured by the caring to rescue those being slaughtered for no reason other than their birth. A heart wrenching but, in the end, story of success over evil!

5 STARS

I have received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.



Spencer Birt
10/21/2023

The America Daughters is a heartbreaking historical novel centered on Ady, an enslaved young woman and the brutality, fear and sadness that surrounds her life on plantations, on the run, and as she slowly gains a sense of self and a purpose. In New Orleans Ady meets Lenore, and becomes part of a group of women who are working in secret, spying on and thwarting, when they can, the plantation owners. Slow at the start, the story builds in tension and pace, and becomes a story of hope and community and redemption. I understand the author’s attempt to push the sentiments and historical significance of the Daughters forward in the Epilogue, to show the lasting effects of slavery on society as a whole, but it was long, wordy, and added nothing to the overall effectiveness of the story. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Overall a good book about the Resistance that helped win the Civil War . It speaks to the bravery that these people exhibited and opens our eyes to a period of history many don’t know or understand.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin is a great Civil War- era historical fiction that brings together and into the spotlight a real woman, Ady…and gives her a voice that no one will ever forget.

This book weaves true figures, real history, and a fictional narrative to give a resounding voice to Adebimpe, also called Antoinette Marianne du Marche, or Ady, as our main character. Through this book we learn about her life, the fear, the changes, the bravery, the brutality, and the courage that surrounds her life.

I really liked how the author presented this heroine with the added mystery and suspenseful elements that were created by real-life events.
I also really liked the Epilogue, which gave the reader more historical detail.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/27/24.

Unfortunately I didn't finish this book. I didn't care for the way it was written and couldn't get into the book. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.