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A review by nuhafariha
The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Having worked with Maurice Carlos Ruffin during my time at LSU, I was ecstatic to pick up a copy of American Daughters. What I loved most about this novel is the way Ruffin returns agency to Black enslaved women. There is just so much love and resistance in this novel, from Ady's brave forage into the woods to Lenore's fierce independence. I loved how Ruffin complicates our understanding of this period of history by returning agency to historical figures who are often viewed as passive and submissive. The whole idea of an underground spy system led by Black women is amazing! The pacing and the shift from historical fiction to thriller to futuristic academic text kept the text interesting, though the shift could be jarring at times. I liked the inclusion of "real" historical texts between the chapters as a subplot in itself. Overall, this was a dynamic, fun, and uplifting read!
Having worked with Maurice Carlos Ruffin during my time at LSU, I was ecstatic to pick up a copy of American Daughters. What I loved most about this novel is the way Ruffin returns agency to Black enslaved women. There is just so much love and resistance in this novel, from Ady's brave forage into the woods to Lenore's fierce independence. I loved how Ruffin complicates our understanding of this period of history by returning agency to historical figures who are often viewed as passive and submissive. The whole idea of an underground spy system led by Black women is amazing! The pacing and the shift from historical fiction to thriller to futuristic academic text kept the text interesting, though the shift could be jarring at times. I liked the inclusion of "real" historical texts between the chapters as a subplot in itself. Overall, this was a dynamic, fun, and uplifting read!