The book, The Slave Dancer, is by Paula Fox. This book has one hundred and thirty eight pages, and it is a historical fiction novel, which means that although fiction this work has a lot of very real historical details. It is about the slave trading practices in the South of America, before the Civil War.
The main character is thirteen year old Jessie Bollier, who lives in New Orleans in the 1800 with his mother and sister, while his father died several years before. They live in terrible poverty, as Jessie's mother sews for money, and the boy plays his fife to earn few coins. His sister is ill, and they are desperately in need of money. The boy is very interested in the life of slaves, as the slave market is not far from his house. It is the period of time when humans (Africans) were bought and sold like animals or objects.His mother is trying to keep him away, to forbid him to go close to the slaves market. there, but Jessie's curiosity is stronger than all the warning of his mother.
One day, when going to his aunt's house, he gets kidnapped and taken aboard a ship called Moonlight, with ninety eight slaves, and fourteen brutal and inhuman crew men. He could not send a message to his mother, get anyone's help or escape. He becomes a prisoner of the most cruel scenes when men were crammed below decks with handcuffs on their wrists and metal rings around their legs to prevent them from jumping into the sea.
During this journey across the Atlantic the boy learns a lot about the misery of slavery life. He witnesses violence, punishments, whipping and pain of the slave caused by the sailors and the captain of Moonlight. He also finds out that his role is to be the slave dancer. That meant that when they are not working hard enough he would have to play his fife, to make them dance. His only friend on the boat becomes the boy called Ras.
So far, the slave ship gets shipwrecked in the Gulf of Mexico, and only Jessie Bollier and Ras, who is one of the slaves, survive. The boys get stranded on an island, where an old man named Daniel takes care of Jessie and his friend.
The main character is thirteen year old Jessie Bollier, who lives in New Orleans in the 1800 with his mother and sister, while his father died several years before. They live in terrible poverty, as Jessie's mother sews for money, and the boy plays his fife to earn few coins. His sister is ill, and they are desperately in need of money. The boy is very interested in the life of slaves, as the slave market is not far from his house. It is the period of time when humans (Africans) were bought and sold like animals or objects.His mother is trying to keep him away, to forbid him to go close to the slaves market. there, but Jessie's curiosity is stronger than all the warning of his mother.
One day, when going to his aunt's house, he gets kidnapped and taken aboard a ship called Moonlight, with ninety eight slaves, and fourteen brutal and inhuman crew men. He could not send a message to his mother, get anyone's help or escape. He becomes a prisoner of the most cruel scenes when men were crammed below decks with handcuffs on their wrists and metal rings around their legs to prevent them from jumping into the sea.
During this journey across the Atlantic the boy learns a lot about the misery of slavery life. He witnesses violence, punishments, whipping and pain of the slave caused by the sailors and the captain of Moonlight. He also finds out that his role is to be the slave dancer. That meant that when they are not working hard enough he would have to play his fife, to make them dance. His only friend on the boat becomes the boy called Ras.
So far, the slave ship gets shipwrecked in the Gulf of Mexico, and only Jessie Bollier and Ras, who is one of the slaves, survive. The boys get stranded on an island, where an old man named Daniel takes care of Jessie and his friend.
Cool. I think I will read that book.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds marwellous
ReplyDeleteI would like to read that book
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Alice Rose