WALK THROUGH DARKNESS is a chilling account of slavery in the ante-bellum south. William is a slave who is about to become a father. His woman, Dover, is taken away by her white mistress. But William cannot take life without her, or their child, and so he decides to follow her north. What follows is an incredible tale of courage and determination, mixed in with greed, cruelty and sordidness. Through it all, William never falters, and I loved the plot twist at the end of the novel.If you are interested in what it felt like to be a slave, you should read this book. David Anthony Durham writes in a way that engages your senses, and makes you see the multiple viewpoints on both sides of the color divide. I highly recommend this novel. Five stars.
It was a good read though maybe 4 stars was more than I think it deserved. Somewhere in between 3 and 4 was more like it. The story of a runaway slave featured more brutality to the main protagonist than I like in my stories but I guess the life of a slave was one of constant brutality. Although the historical fiction quality of the story lends itself to factual events (the authors says he draws from stories of actual slave narratives and runaway records) the slaves "Saviour" seems be a highly unlikely personage in my view. After all the vicious brutality the ending seems a little too happy hollywood and fanciful for me but overall these are minor quibbles. I enjoyed the book.
What do You think about Walk Through Darkness (2002)?
Patty wrote: "do you think it would be a good Book Club read? Or do you have any suggestions for a Book Club. I am in charge of picking the next book."I definately think it would be good for a bookclub. The way the book is written is interesting AND there are twists and turns. Definately there are deep subjects to discuss and mull over about humanity, slavery and racism and connection to the Bible with Cain and Abel. I love to hear what you all think about it!
—Margaret
