Growing up in the Deep South during the years leading to the Civil War, two young girls find freedom on a hillside overlooking Westland, an Alabama plantation. Essie Mae, an intuitive, intelligent slave girl, and Evie Winthrop, the sheltered, imaginative dreamer and planter’s daughter, strike up a secret friendship that thrives amidst the shadows of abuse.
Told from the viewpoint of four women: … four women: Katherine Winthrop, kind mistress and unexpected heiress to her father’s small, cotton plantation; Delly, her sassy and beloved house slave; Essie Mae, her slave girl; and Evie Winthrop, Katherine’s only child, Essie’s Roses tells of forbidden relationships flourishing in secret behind Westland’s protective trees and treasured roses.
After scandal befalls Westland, Evie and Essie, aged nineteen, travel to Richmond, Virginia, to escape their abusive pasts. There, they face the gross indecencies and divisions leading to the War Between the States. Though the horrors of slavery and discrimination prompt action, Evie and Essie’s struggles lie within. The secrets they hold and the pain of the past lead them away from one another and back home again.
A story about a black slave who frees a white woman, Essie’s Roses reveals the innocence of children’s friendships, the diverse meanings of freedom, the significance of a dream, and the power of love. In their efforts to save each other, will the women of Westland find the true freedom they desire?
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This is the story of four women in the period just prior to the Civil War. Miss Katie is mistress of a cotton plantation in Alabama. While Miss Katie is kind and intelligent, her husband John is ignorant and abusive, having married her only for her money. Delly is the loyal house slave with a sharp tongue, and she loves Katie and Evie as though they were her own. Evie is the only child of Katie and John, somewhat spoiled, adventurous. Her best friend, born the same night Evie was born, is Essie Mae, her slave girl. The story is about the strength of these four females and their love for each other.
The friendship between Evie and Essie has been kept a secret for several years. But it is their friendship that gets them through the hardest of times – times of violence and expressions of hate. These women save each other time after time. Evie teaches Essie how to dream, and Essie teaches Evie how to be free. The points of view shift from chapter to chapter but it is so well written that it is mostly easy to keep track of who is talking at the time.
The writing throughout most of the book is totally magical. Even the opening seductively draws you in – “A tattered gardening glove lay beneath Miss Katie’s favorite rosebush. It would be hard for her to love it again. Though, magically, those things we once loved that become tainted, often find their way back into our hearts. While nature whispered its secrets in the warm night air, my mother lay in the barn giving birth to me.” A blind man smelling an orange rose says “Smells like sunshine. Smells like smiles. Orange. Beautiful orange.” Another rose is described as “A lemon so sweet, it could not taste sour, with a touch of cream.”
But toward the end of the book there was a period when the writing changed style, as though someone else had written a portion of it. Thankfully, before the end of the book the magical writing reappeared.
As the South nears secession life becomes difficult (and dangerous) for Evie and Essie. Evie is determined to leave her home and goes to Richmond, Virginia where her aunt lives, taking Essie with her.
The story is not always pleasant but it does avoid graphic scenes. While written for adults, this would be the ideal book for middle schoolers and teens.
“Essie’s Roses” is an unforgettable story. Michelle Muriel tells a heartrending tale of two girls; one white, the other black, as they struggle to lead a normal life. You will feel the immeasurable pain; your thoughts pricked to an undeniable sadness, as the story is told. But, the strong bond between the girls as they grow into adulthood, will still your emotions like the quiet before a storm.
Four women tell this tale. Katherine, the kind plantation owner; Delly, her presumptuous and motherly house slave; Essie Mae, her slave girl; and Evie, Katherine’s only daughter. Set in Alabama on the Westland plantation during the mid 1800s, best friends, Essie Mae and Evie have dreams of being free.
I am in awe of this moving story that Michelle has written. She creates a tale that will grab your attention from page one. The research was evident, giving the story more authenticity and depth; even giving southern dialogue to some of the characters. She set the scenes perfectly; giving your senses a touch of the surroundings. “Wood from the surrounding trees, pines….all soaked up the dampness giving off a smell…like warm apple pie laced with cinnamon.” Truly an excellent novel that I highly recommend!
Look for the continuation of this story in Michelle’s novel, “WESTLAND,” coming out January 2022!
Beautifully written prose and well developed characters. The story of a mother and two girls and their struggles to hold onto dreams as well as their ability to dream during the troubled pre Civil War time. This heartfelt story brought tears to me during both happy and sad times. I have never read a book where I could so aptly smell the roses or the stench described within the pages. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a wonderfully emotional read.