Freed slaves of colonial natchitoches produced a fabled community along cane river. Cane river covers 7 years of lalita tademys familys history, written as fiction, but deeply rooted in years of research historical fact, and family lore. It is interesting to compare the dynamics of todays society to the groundwork. Cane river presents a slice of american history never before seen in such piercing and personal detail. Tademy left her career as the vicepresident of computer company sun microsystems to begin. Gould, philip, richard seale, robert deblieux, and harlan mark guidry.
Twentiethcentury accounts incorrectly depict coincoin as the grand and wealthy mistress of cane rivers melrose plantation, but that classic antebellum mansion was built by her son louis some. Feb 06, 2020 when peter first meets maria, she is reading the forgotten people, a scholarly work by gary b. The history and legacy of louisianas free people of color. Cane river creole national historical park natchez. Despite the hardships, the cane river communities survived. Cane river colony was a colony founded by marie theresa coincoin, a former african slave and the children of her relationship with claude thomas pierre metoyer, a frenchman, on isle brevelle just south of natchitoches in central louisiana. Born on a sugar plantation in south louisiana in 1871, cammie henry moved with her husband to melrose in 1899 and immediately set to work restoring the property. Patricia austin becker will keep you intrigued with her story about plantation life around natchitoches, louisiana around the beginning of the twentieth century. In a novel that combines painstaking historical reconstruction with. Augustine society, whose families had lived as free from the late spanish period of louisiana history. History of the cane river regioncane river national. Lalita tademy has imbued life and blood into her family history, capturing you with her first sentence and only releasing you with her final word.
The definitive study of a culture legendary in louisiana history. The forgotten people, cane rivers creoles of color. The center for louisiana studies, university of southwestern louisiana, 1998. In 1971, in the interest of maintaining melrose as a monument to louisiana history, southdown land company, which had acquired the plantation.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading cane river. French louisiana s commercial activities centered around the indian trade. Natchitoches and louisiana s timeless cane river offers passage through an extraordinary world where people, heritage, and history are inseparably intertwined. Cane river bohemia is a must read book for anyone interested in life in the old south. Cane river creole national historical park, natchez. Beginning with her greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother, a. Mills on the history and sociology of cane rivers creoles of color. The resulting novel spans one hundred years and five generations of black women in rural central louisiana from the slavery of the 1830s, through the civil war. Cane river and millions of other books are available for instant access. Natchitoches and louisianas timeless cane river by philip.
It is a family saga that covers four generations of women born into slavery and searching. It is interesting to compare the dynamics of todays society to the groundwork laid out in this piece of fiction. In cane river bohemia, patricia austin becker provides a vivid biography of this fascinating figure. Creoles in the cane river regioncane river national. Cane river cuisine 1974, paperback for sale online ebay. Littleknown piece of louisiana history inspires new novel book of lost friends is the dramatic and hopeful story of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post. Lalita tademy went on to write two other works of historical fiction called red river and citizens creek, but before cane river, she was not a professional writer. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers. Americans, who were latecomers to the area, tended to settle in the piney uplands away from the creoles. Cane river heritage trail louisiana scenic drives on. Lalita tademys book, cane river, tells in fictional form the stories of four generations. A new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pickthe unique and deeply moving saga of four generations of africanamerican women whose journey from slavery to freedom begins on a creole plantation in louisiana. Louisiana sits above the gulf of mexico at the mouth of the mississippi river, bordered by arkansas to the north, mississippi to the east and texas to the west.
Dec 11, 2019 cherokee plantation on the cane river can be purchased in the gift shop at the south arkansas historical preservations gallery of history, 412 e. The price for spanish participation was the cession to spain of louisiana lands on the west bank of the mississippi river, including natchitoches and those lands on the east bank below bayou manchac. An epic work of fiction deeply rooted in historical fact, cane river spans a hundred turbulent years to trace the lives of women who battled unspeakable injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement. Littleknown piece of louisiana history inspires new lisa. The result is a compelling, heartfelt, and sweeping american saga, cane river. An eighteenthcentury liberated woman, in journal of southern history 42 may 1976. The theme of the cane river creoles of colour, epitomised by the metoyer family runs throughout the book. Cherokee plantation on the cane river can be purchased in the gift shop at the south arkansas historical preservations gallery of history, 412 e. As she set out to research her familys history, she discovered astonishing. A unique accomplishment, this is history never before told, an epic novel of four. Cane river national historical park and heritage area. It begins with louis derbanne and his wife, francoise rachal, on their plantation, rosedew.
Cane river by lalita tademy set in rural louisiana, this book is a fictionalized version of tademys own ancestors, telling the story of four generations of african american women. According to the legend, the cane river colony owes its beginnings to a woman known as marie thereze, or coincoin. Follows four generations of african american women from slavery to the early twentieth century as they struggle for economic security and the future of their families along the cane river in rural louisiana. Settlement of the cane river area of louisiana legends of. Murphynolan family reminisces in cherokee plantation book. Apr 01, 2002 tademy takes historical fact and mingles it with fiction to weave a vivid and dramatic account of what life was like for the four remarkable women who came before her. In piecing together events from personal and public sources, especially when they conflicted, i relied on my own intuition. The cane river creole community in the northern part of the state, along the red river and cane river, is made up of multiracial descendants of french, spanish, africans, native americans, similar mixed creole migrants from new orleans and various other ethnic groups who inhabited this region in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Jenkins longlost debut feature, a 1982 romantic drama centering on black characters in louisiana and made independently, with a. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. See more ideas about louisiana, clementine hunter and melrose plantation. When peter first meets maria, she is reading the forgotten people, a scholarly work by gary b. Cane river was a new york times bestseller and was selected for oprahs book club. This extensively revised and enlarged edition by elizabeth shown mills nearly. A new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pickthe unique and deeply moving saga of four generations of africanamerican women whose journey from slavery to freedom begins on a creole. Born on a sugar plantation in south louisiana in 1871, cammie henry moved with her husband to melrose.
May 24, 2014 oprahs book club do you remember the first book she picked. The matriarch of the line was the negress, elisabeth, sold away from a plantation in virginia to the backwaters of louisiana. Because a giant logjam called the great raft blocked red river. I was a guest of natchitoches cvb, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. She was from her childhood a slave in household of the commandant. The descriptions of the people and the places are very vivid. Jan 01, 2001 cane river covers 7 years of the authors family history, written as fiction, but rooted in research, historical fact and family stories. The louisiana creole heritage centers family database is now online. Todays cane river creoles form the basis of the isle brevelle settlement, which has continued as a creole community since its late 18thcentury beginnings.
Cane river is a novelization of stories tademy gleaned from years of research about the generations of strong, dedicated, passionate and sometimes wrongheaded women who labored, in all senses of the word, through slavery and beyond. Oprahs book club do you remember the first book she picked. The 1979 publication by the northwestern state university press featured essays and archival photographs on natchitoches and the cane river country. Lalita tademy went on to write two other works of historical fiction called red river and citizens creek, but before cane river. The book begins with elisabeth, who was sold from virginia to louisiana, and one of tademys many brilliant. We foresee it as a great tool for individuals researching their family history. Opening in 1834 on a mediumsize creole plantation worked by frenchspeaking slaves, the novel boldly explores the intricate relationships between slaves and slave owners, and provocative issues of class and. Cane river national heritage trail natchitoches 2020. The museum in which this occurred is in natchitoches, louisiana along cane river. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Cane river covers 7 years of my familys history, written as fiction, but deeply rooted in years of research, historical fact, and family lore. Because of the proximity to spanish texas and the indian nations, natchitoches was ideally suited to a frontier market economy. On the morning of her ninth birthday, the day after madame francoise derbanne slapped her, suzette peed on the rosebushes. Cherokee plantation on the cane river will be released between 3 and 5.
See more ideas about creole people, louisiana creole and louisiana history. Nestled on the banks of the cane river, natchitoches pronounced nakitush is. As a preservationist, cammie also collected cultural arts and crafts such as weaving techniques, cane river art, photography, and louisiana lore that was threatened or at risk of being forgotten. This property is now owned by the national park service and our guide thom is very knowledgeable about the history. In a blend of fact and fiction, tademy tells the story of four generations of her slaveborn female ancestors elisabeth, suzette, philomene, and emily following their trajectories from the 1830s to the 1930s. It was chosen as an oprahs book club selection in a blend of fact and fiction, tademy tells the story of four generations of her slaveborn female ancestors. Natchitoches and louisiana s timeless cane river by. A selection of oprahs book club, this fictionalized family history, telling of four generations of slave women living on cane river in louisiana from 1834 until the early 20th century, tells a larger story of. Beginning with her greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother, a slave owned by a creole family, lalita tademy chronicles four generations of strong, determined.
The civil war reached the cane river region in 1864, when union general nathaniel banks was ordered to move his army out of unionheld new orleans and capture the confederate capital of louisiana at shreveport in what is known as the red river campaign. This agreement was formalized by the treaty of fontainebleau in 1762. Northwestern state university press natchitoches, louisiana. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. A story of three generations of strong women, slaves and the complexity of their lives, and the importance of family. Cane river national heritage trail natchitoches 2020 all. Best louisiana history books nonfiction nonfiction books on louisiana history.
Twentiethcentury accounts incorrectly depict coincoin as the grand and wealthy mistress of cane river s melrose plantation, but that classic antebellum mansion was built by her son louis some. Settlement of the cane river area of louisiana legends. Cane river oprahs book club mass market paperback february 1, 2005. Cane river covers 7 years of the authors family history, written as fiction, but rooted in research, historical fact and family stories. The ravages of the war combined with low cotton prices made the reconstruction period 18651877 difficult for the cane river region. Mills has produced a historical narrative that has melded facts, lives and personalities in way that provides a great story. Mar 19, 2014 explore thompsonrkimbos board metoyer. Uncover 300 years of history in natchitoches, louisiana, explore creole culture along the cane river national heritage trail, and experience outdoor adventure in the kisatchie national forest. Mills on the history and sociology of cane river s creoles of color. Louisiana history books on local and regional history of the southern states. Lalita tademy has imbued life and blood into her family history. Melrose plantation on cane river, natchitoches, louisiana.
Mills paperback from louisiana state university press. Cane river creole national historical park natchez 2020. Apr 17, 2001 meticulously researched and beautifully written, cane river presents a slice of american history never before seen in such piercing and personal detail. See more ideas about river i, creole people and louisiana creole. Learn more about cane river, an oprahs book club selection. Through the years, a melting pot of native americans, french, spanish, and african people were drawn to the river. Probing deeper for her familys roots, tademy soon found herself swept up in an obsessive twoyear odysseyand leaving her corporate career for the little louisiana farming community of cane river. In piecing together events from personal and public. Natives and tourists alike will relish the journey.
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