Home. Heritage. Legacy. Legend.
In 1818, Cherokee John Ridge seeks a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut. While there, he is overcome with sickness yet finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite a two-year separation, family disapproval, defamatory editorials, and angry mobs, the couple marries in 1824.
Sarah reconciles her new family’s spirituality and her foundational Christianity. Although, Sarah’s nature defies her new family’s indifference to slavery. She befriends Honey, half-Cherokee and half-African, who becomes Sarah’s voice during John’s extended absences.
Once arriving on Cherokee land, John argues to hold the land of the Cherokees and that of his Creek neighbors from encroaching Georgian settlers. His success hinges upon his ability to temper his Cherokee pride with his knowledge of American law. Justice is not guaranteed.
Rich with allusions to Cherokee legends, ‘Tho I Be Mute speaks aloud; some voices are heard, some are ignored, some do not speak at all, compelling readers to listen to the story of a couple who heard the pleas of the Cherokee.
They say that to catch a readers attention you need a good blurb. Well, 'Tho I Be Mute certainly has a great blurb! I knew this was a novel that really needed to be on my to-read list and after reading this book I think it should be on your to-read list as well!
I absolutely adored Sarah, and I especially enjoyed watching her and John fall in love, even if it was forbidden. It has always seemed ludicrous, to me that two people who are madly in love would be met with a barrage of hostility because of something so ridiculous as race and skin colour. But this book is set in the early 19th century and ideas and opinions were very different then. Sarah and John are so clearly in love but when those around them try to keep them apart Sarah becomes physically ill. It is certainly a desperately unhappy situation that Sarah finds herself in and one that I felt was so unnecessarily cruel.
The narrative and the historical setting is immensely detailed, and to my delight, I soon lost all sense of time and place as the story swept me away. The story is breathtakingly beautiful and I thought it was written with an intuitive understanding of the era. It is one of those books, that once finished you find yourself turning back to Chapter 1 so you begin the journey again. A great read!
Buy this Book (or at least, put it on your to-read list)!
Heather Miller
Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Misérables. Her favorite role is that of a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a future RN. There is only one English major in her house.
While researching, writing, and teaching, she is also working towards her M FA in Creative Writing. Heather’s corndog-shaped dachshund, Sadie, deserves an honorary degree.
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You always write such beautiful book reviews.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.