Day of Tears
In what was considered the largest slave auction in our recorded history, southern plantation owner Pierce Butler sold over 400 of his slaves to pay off his outrageous gambling debt. Plagued by torrential rain downpours and floods of tears, this event, later known as "The Weeping Time", is brought to life in this outstanding book.
Considering I am normally a person who avoids this type of read (too painful), I was surprised at how much I loved it! It reads like a play (lyrical dialogue), which helped me "see" the story unfold. The main characters are riveting, and the author carefully balances the story by using several different points of view. Yes, you'll read some difficult and gut-wrenching passages, but this book is so well done I can't imagine anyone would regret reading it.
Day of Tears earned Julius Lester the 2006 Coretta Scott King Award.
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