Day of Tears

From School Library Journal
This powerful and engaging historical novel is told in dialogue and through monologues. It also moves around in time, from the period when the story takes place to "interludes," in which the various characters look back on these events years later. It begins with a factual event–the largest slave auction in United States history that took place in 1859 on Pierce Butler's plantation in Georgia. The book introduces Butler, his abolitionist ex-wife Fanny Kemble, their two daughters, the auctioneer, and a number of slaves sold to pay off Butler's gambling debts. Emma, a fictional house slave, is the centerpiece of the novel. She cares for the master's daughters and has been promised that she will never be sold. On the last day of the auction, Butler impulsively sells her to a woman from Kentucky. There she marries, runs away, and eventually gains her freedom in Canada. Lester has done an admirable job of portraying the simmering anger and aching sadness that the slaves must have felt. Each character is well drawn and believable. Both blacks and whites liberally use the word "nigger," which will be jarring to modern-day students. The text itself is easy to read and flows nicely. Different typefaces distinguish the characters' monologues, their dialogues with one another, and their memories. Still, middle school readers may have some difficulty following the plot until they get used to the unusual format. Altogether this novel does a superb job of showing the inhumanity of slavery. It begs to be read aloud, and it could be used in sections to produce some stunning reader's theater.

I have not had a book that I have read cover to cover without putting down in YEARS! I did just that with Day of Tears by Julius Lester. This book was amazing! I started crying for the characters at page 96 and didn't stop until the end. You become so attached to the characters from the beginning and can't help but hurt for them when their lives are uprooted and they have no control. I also find the point of view interesting because it shows the point of view as the story unfolds, but it shows the point of view from the same person years later, which adds a level of depth and insight to the book. This book is not only a must for a library, but would be fantastic to support curriculum in the the classroom for upper grades or middle school.