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(More customer reviews)Most of us have heard of John Brown and his unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry. But how many of us have heard of Mary Ellen Pleasant? Mary Ellen Pleasant was a civil rights leader before there was an official movement, yet she is often omitted from history books. In FREE ENTERPRISE Michelle Cliff uses a mixture of historical fact and fiction to create a complex tale that highlights the life of this often overlooked phenomenal woman.
The book takes place in the mid 1800's and focuses on the lives of Mary Ellen Pleasant, a wealthy hotelier from California, and Annie Christmas, a young Jamaican who left her home to make a life in the United States. In addition, special attention is paid to the relationship the two women shared and their involvement in the abolitionist movement. The story is not told in a linear fashion; instead the author takes readers back and forth in time. In addition, the story is told from through the voices of several different characters in a series of vignettes. The result is a complex and richly detailed story told with a strong literary flair.
I thoroughly enjoyed FREE ENTERPRISE; it is a thought-provoking and enjoyable tale. It is a weighty read, and requires full attention and thought. As Michelle Cliff alternates from time to time, place to place, and voice to voice, she provides intricate details that when woven together result in a powerful tale. I particularly loved the fact that all of the major characters in the book were women, and that the author depicted them as strong, intelligent and well-rounded, especially considering the time period in which the story took place. FREE ENTERPRISE is a well-written, literary read with strong female characters, and a pleasant mixture of history and creativity. This is the kind of book you could read several times and each time take something new away; definitely a story to savor.
Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers
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