Set in the Caribbean around the time of the Slavery Abolition Act, Shearer’s powerful debut novel follows a mother’s journey to reunite with her children
leanor Shearer’s propulsive debut opens with an enslaved woman, Rachel, running. The novel is set in the Caribbean around the time of the Slavery Abolition Act, a move by Britain to emancipate its slaves that left them bound to their masters in enforced “apprenticeships” that were not much better than slavery itself.
This compelling premise of a mother in search of her children powers a moving and dynamic novel. The pacing is swift, and Shearer writes in clear, energetic prose. There is an accessibility to the language that is refreshing; it buoys the narrative, giving us intimate access to a complex period in history.
The novel is notable in its treatment of the ambiguities of British Emancipation; it includes key historical events such as the Demerara Rebellion of 1823, in which more than 10,000 enslaved people in the British colony of Demerara-Essequibo, now part of Guyana, attempted to free themselves.
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