Hang A Thousand Trees With Ribbons (2005) - Plot & Excerpts
Torn from her native land in Africa when only a small child, Keziah arrives in Boston terrified. She doesn't understand what the white people say. On the voyage, she was treated inhumanely and watched her mother die. Bought by Mr. Wheatley for his wife, Keziah becomes Phillis Wheatley. She is a slave, but the Wheatleys don't treat her so. When she shows an aptitude for learning, her master's son, Nathaniel, teaches her how to read. Phillis does well with her tutoring. After a time, she writes a poem. This is astounding because most of the white world doubts that a black person has such talent. Writing poetry turns Phillis into a oddity, you might even say a commodity, that the Wheatleys cultivate. Phillis views her writing differently."All I ever wanted to do was write some words down on paper. The fact that I could do so never ceased being a matter of incredulity to me.I love the way the words look, all of a piece on the parchment beneath my hands, weaving my thoughts into the tapestry, like a spider weaving a web.I love the way I can make them rhyme. I love the smell of the very ink I use.Most of all, I love that when I write I am not skinny and black and a slave. My writing has no color. It has no skin at all, truth to tell.When I write I am the real me.I am whole, beautiful, alive, filled with a sense of pleasure and worth. Why can't they just leave it be?" (21-22).What I thought: This is a profoundly moving book. I found myself crying with or for Phillis at several intervals. I like the fact that Ann Rinaldi makes Phillis her own. She doesn't claim this is the factual account of Phillis, merely the story of. Rinaldi describes her aim in the author's note: "This is what I have attempted in my novel, to flesh Phillis out" (332). The level of detail in the book attests to the depth of research Rinaldi does for her books. She takes the dry, historical facts and gives them life. Bravo, Ms. Rinaldi!
Before reading this book, I had heard of Phillis Wheatley, first black American poetess, contemporary of George Washington, but that's about it. This book "put a face" on slavery, particularly for young female readers. They show Phillis as a young teenage girl, often fickle, given to crushes on the master's son and unsure of her own heart. Most interesting for me was the perspective of what happens to a girl who is pampered, even spoiled by her kind owners (but never considered a family member) when she gets her freedom? She was classically educated in Greek and Latin, but did that really benefit her in a world that saw her as a mere curiousity - "Mrs. Wheatley's little nigra who writes poetry"? Phillis was a pioneer of her time who changed the way many people viewed the intellectual capacity of Africans. Her efforts paved the way for others. It's just a shame she had to cope with so much fame and so little true freedom at such a young age. I could not give it 5 stars though because the story lagged somewhat. It wasn't until I read the "Afterward" section that I truly started to appreciate what Phillis went through. I fear many young readers will put the book down before getting to the good stuff.
What do You think about Hang A Thousand Trees With Ribbons (2005)?
This book was very interesting. It described the whole life of a small slave girl, Phillis Wheatley, who was captured form Africa and brought to America. The book showed how Phillis changed from the beginning of the book when she just arrived in America, to the end of the book. The book showed that anything is possible if you try. Phillis was just a slave, but she was determined to learn to read and write, and she did learn. After she learned how to read and write, she found that she had a passion for writing poetry. Phillis put everything into her writing and they eventually got published. Phillis worked very hard on her poems and she became the first African-American poem writer. I enjoyed this book very much and I highly recommend it to others.-Adriana Murphy
—Adriana Murphy
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed it for the entertainment value, but too much of the information presented is historically inaccurate. I appreciate that as a historical FICTION writer, Ann Rinaldi took liberties. However, this time I think too many liberties were taken.For example, in a biography I read about Phillis Wheatley, it said it is believed that Mary Wheatley was Phillis' main tutor. In this novel, Mary is portrayed early on as one who completely dislikes and abuses Phillis. I can't imagine Mary in this regard. If she was a tutor as the biography mentioned, I imagine her to have much more compassion on Phillis than her character does in Hang a Thousand Trees.I intend to study Phillis Wheatley more thoroughly. She was a great example of starting with nothing and using her education to expertly express herself. She is definitely someone I want to know more about.
—Brenda
Ann Rinaldi is one of the greatest historical fiction writers for youth and this book must be one of her best. I may say that after reading each book, but the story of Phillis Wheatley is brought to life in a most moving fashion. At times, I felt as if my heart would burst as I read of her experiences. When I finished, I thought, all studens should read this book! It is truly a five star book. Thank you, Ann Rinaldi, for making history interesting and giving it to us in a story which will help us remember.
—Ann Valdez
