COLD MOUNTAIN MEETS THE COLOR PURPLE. A STORY OF LOVE AND SURVIVAL AMIDST AN ERA OF SUFFERING AND HATE. Shay is an orphan. A young Asian boy with no link to his past – except for a mysterious jade amulet – and no idea what fate has in store for his future. Not until an American merchant captain raises him to be a man, who becomes a valiant Union Army scout during the height of the American Civil … Civil War. Across the oceans, a young girl is ripped from her homeland and tossed aboard a ship set sail for America. She is sold to an Alabama plantation like livestock; her name, her identity, and her life stripped from her. Now, she is considered nothing more than a slave. When their two paths cross ten years later, they immediately intertwine, driven by a connection so strong it could only be forged by destiny. But love is forbidden, and darkness surrounds them. Loyalties are tested. Lives are lost. Can they find the strength to love and survive? Or will bloodshed drown the only glimmer of hope in a cruel world? Inspired by Historical Events.
more
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody
Author: C.J. Heigelmann
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 18
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 18 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
18 thought the cover was good or excellent.
18 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
18 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“I think anybody interested in the historical slave trade to America will find this of interest. It’s also a superb novel, rather gritty in parts reflecting the subject matter.” Female reader, aged 19
“This is a long historical novel that is gripping with a highly compelling plot and a host of fascinating characters. It has a ‘saga’ feel to it and, I must say, the author’s knowledge of the time in place is excellent.” Female reader, aged 53
“This is a love story of sorts between two characters very far from home. The plot is complex – but not too complex – it looks at subjects such as the American Civil War, slavery and the terrible hardships of the time. The writing style is strong and always easy to follow, and the author deftly helps the reader to stay on top of the plot and who’s who.” Female reader, aged 56
To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping historical novel populated with memorable characters. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Love knows no color
An Uncommon Folk Rhapsody was very well written, it was a page turner and kept me reading until the end. It is a very diverse book covering topics such as slavery, prejudice, loyalty to country, Love, Romance, as well as cruelty, rape amid a background of Africa, China and the Civil War in America. These are artfully intertwined with each other to offer a heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking story.
The first third of the book starts with two stories. The story of an orphan “Shay” in China rescued by sea Captain Price as a cabin boy on his ship and the story of an African girl captured and shipped to the U.S. and sold as a slave to Colonel Walters an Alabama plantation owner who names her “Victoria”.
The book than skips to the Civil War in America. Shay, now living with Captain Price in America as his son, joins the Union Army as a scout. Victoria is a companion to the daughter of Colonel Walters and a maid at the plantation.
How all this comes about and the story of Shay and Victoria’s meeting is the story being told. It involves many other great characters. The Characters are realistic, the history is true to history, the surroundings are described in detail. You can step into this story and feel their feelings, their tears, their happiness. I could almost feel the Alabama heat. It is a great read and I would highly recommend it.
Thanks to C.J. Heigelmann, Common Folk Press, and BookSirens for giving me a copy of the book for an honest review. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received a free electronic ARC of this historical novel from BookSIRENS and author CJ Heigelmann. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am grateful to be exposed to the works of C.J. Heigelmann. He is going on my must-follow list of amazing authors who can take you to the heart of their stories.
And this one is full of heart. We meet young Shu-Shay in the early 1840s port city of Canton about 10 miles from Mainland China where he watches his mother pass away, and is fortunately taken aboard ship by Captain Price more out of sympathy than because the crew had any misunderstandings about having this scrawny youngster take over the work of one of their three missing sailors. With a typhoon coming, they have to get to sea ASAP. As Captain Caleb Price is making his final run before retirement he wants everything to fall into line for a pleasant voyage but things have a way of foiling the best-laid plans.
We watch as, that same year in Nigeria, slave traders clear out the residents of the Yoruba village of Osugun and drive those villagers who were home to the coast and onto the deadly slave ships, packed into the holds with so many persons that sitting down was not possible is ten-year-old Chimanda, separated from her younger brother Soja, and though she knows her mother Ugonna is on the ship, she is nowhere near Chimanda in the hold. Up to 30% of the prisoners will not make the trip alive, and Ugonna does not survive the month’s long journey to America. Chimanda was not able to find any of the friends she knew in Yoruba, or any of their family once they reach port in Charlotte, NC. She is all alone in this new world.
We then meet the family Walter in Alabama. Daughter Emily is spoiled and special to her father Colonel Walter, and she will miss him on his trip to Charlotte to attend the slave auction. While there he buys Chimanda to be a companion to his daughter Emily.
As these stories all come together, we have a tale that is both heartbreaking and warmly fulfilled. This is a book I can highly recommend to friends and family, one that I will want to read again.