The story of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who falls under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man in Manchester County, Virginia. Making certain that he never circumvents the law, Townsend runds his affairs with unusual discipline. But when death takes him unexpectedly, his widow, Caldonia, can't uphold the estate's order and chaos ensues.

RELEASE NOTES:

Got this as a RABCK. Thanks so much. Planning to read it.

December 15th:

Just finished this book last night. It was a very sobering look at a world most of us can't imagine--the south before the civil war. The focus of the book being a black slave owner and how he viewed slavery was quiet interesting. It was hard for me to imagine that there were black slave owners but they were a small minority. Even though Henry himself was a slave whose freedom was bought by his parents, thought nothing of owning other human being as if they were property. Henry convinces himself that he is a better owner than other slave owners and that they people he owns love him for his gentleness. I found it hard to believe though that he never understood the other side having been in on that side.

Two little caveats though: It was hard to follow his writing sometimes when he would go off on a tangent about the person he was talking about and what their future would hold for pages and pages. Another example is when he would talk about a character's past and future when he introduced someone new--there did not seem to be as much of a smooth transition.

Overall a sobering look at slavery and the ideals that ruled america in the mid 1800s. I hope everyone else will like reading it.

The 2004 Pulitzer price book and much talked about novel will start its journey from NC and hopefully travel the world. I will try to keep the order based on shipping preferences and on the order that I'm contacted.

My Bookring rules:
1. Please journal the book when you get it.
2. Try to read the book within 3-4 weeks so others can have a chance to read. (if this presents a problem because of work schedule, etc, let me know and I can change the order of the book so that it comes to you at another time)
3. After journaling the book, send a PM to the next person for their address so that you have it when you're done reading.
4. Any problems/questions, PM me.

Thank you all for participating. I hope you enjoy reading this book.

Order of Bookring(order may change based on shipping preferences):

1. ica78 in Illinois (Anywhere)
2. spuddossis in New Jersey (Anywhere)
3. cinnycat in New York (US Only)
4. Doceo33 in Arizona (Anywhere)
5. Brewski in Ontario, Canada (N.America & europe)
6. geishabird in Ontario, Canada (Anywhere)
7. Back to me. <----It's HERE

The book is on its way to ica78 by first class mail. Hopefully she will get it before her Italy trip. Enjoy.

i just got the book from Lane1088. i am in italy right now and be able to start reading it as soon as i get back to US.
can't wait!!

this book was amazing to me! thanks to lane1088 for sharing it!
i agree with her that sometimes Jones' writing has some tricks, but once you get to understand them, the book is easy going. and the story great!
also i am sorry for keeping it for an entire month: altough the book arrived in chicago on december 22, i got back from italy only on january 17. i shipped it today to spuddossis by first class mail!

Received today in the mail from ica78 and as luck would have it, I just finished the book I was reading, so I can start this later tonight. I'm very much looking forward to this read!

I found this book fascinating and can see why it won a Pulitzer Prize. It is a real insight to the times of slavery in the South.
On to cinnycat, as soon as she sends her address!
Mailed out to cinnycat on either 2/11/07 or 2/12/07.

This got to me yesterday! I'm leaving on a trip next week so it will be coming with me! I'll let you know how it turns out when I get back (around March 17th)! thanks so much spuddossis for sending it and lane1088 for the opportunity!

A look at slavery, that I conveniently read on a trip to the south. I read an article in a newspaper in Florida where they are still having problems with whites and people of color going to the same schools! Jeeze. So the issues are still relevant. I loved how all the slave owners in The Known World had physical problems. I'm guessing the writer was trying to say that all the slave owners told themselves owning slaves was the right thing to do but in their souls they knew it wasn't right to "own" another human being, which resulted in them having physical manifestations of their unhappiness. I'm looking forward to more from Jones!

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Doceo33 today! Sorry about the wait!

The book arrived.

I sent the book on to brewski this morning.

Well this got here pretty quickly, thanks Doceo33. And many thanks to lane1088 for sharing this book. I will start on this one immediately :)

I just finished reading this on the subway ride into work this morning. To start with, I found the subject matter extremely interesting, and the idea of a black slave owner owning slaves himself seemed inconceivable, yet fascinating at the same time.

One objection that I had was the non-linear progression of the story at some points in the novel. Perhaps it was because I was reading in 30 minute chunks of time on a noisy subway train, but I found it hard at times to keep the sequencing of events straight when the narrative jumped from the present, to the future, and back to the past.

I will be dropping this in the mail for geishabird this week. Thanks again for sharing lane1088.

Dropped in the mailbox this morning.

Received; thank you! I may not be able to get to this immediately but don't worry, I won't be too long with it... :) Very much looking forward to the read.

I've been underwhelmed by a few other recent Pulitzer Prize winners so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. An excellent book, fascinating and moving and beautifully written as well. I was completely absorbed by the world Jones has re-created for us here. I was not aware that the law of this time period actually allowed freed slaves to own slaves themselves, which in some ways is incomprehensible (and clearly many of the characters found it to be so as well). But I suppose it just serves as a further reminder that throughout history slavery has been first and foremost an economic arrangement, and all of the other unpleasant associations developed as a kind of appendix. This attitude continues today all over the world, unfortunately - when will empathy become hardwired in our brains so that we will finally be able to stop this ultimate act of self-destructive behaviour? I would recommend Barry Unsworth's novel Sacred Hunger for another interesting examination of this phenomenon.

Thank you so much, lane1088, for sharing this marvellous book with us all. It will be heading home to you very soon and will be glad to get some rest after its long journey.

The book has made it back to charlotte having traveled quiet a bit. Thank you to everyone who participated. I may in the future dust it out and send it out again to a new crop of readers but for now it will be joining my permanent collection.

A special thanks to ButoracA from Bronx, New York for RABCK the book to me. I'm glad it has had a great journey through the US and Canada.

I've donated this book to a friend's library book sale. I hope it finds a good home that will enjoy reading this tale.