Within the last few years, I have discovered a love of reading. I actually enjoy reading. I do not have to be given an assignment or a needed manual to read. I will gladly pick up a good book and read for pleasure. Being able to do so for an assignment was a bonus. Many times I would tell myself that I don't have time but with this assignment, I had an excuse to make time. Really I didn't need to make time, I just needed to use the time I did have better. I would take my book along with me to my daughter's different activities and read while I waited. I would read in bed to relax or after dinner as the kids were finishing up homework.
I've noticed that I don't need a large amount of time to read. I've learned that I can steal away 15 minutes here and there to get lost and then easily pick back up where I left off the next time I'm free. I still have not tried reading on an electronic device yet but I feel like I'm getting closer. Right now, the biggest drawback is the price. If they would just come down to the same price as a paperback I'd be sold. For now, I'm happy checking out the ones I can find locally and ordering the ones I can't.
December 11, 2011
December 3, 2011
PRABE Week 9
To Meena's horrified surprise, the person that has made a claim against her and kept her from joining her husband on the trip to Nova Scotia is Robinson Appleby. Disgusted and annoyed, Meena protests his claim against her. Mr. Appleby provides proof of his original purchase and Meena has nothing to disprove his claim. Thankfully her friend Sam is present and returns with Solomon Lindo to claim her. She is released to him and he finally sets her free. She and her unborn child continue with their journey to the "promised land" on the next ship out. Unfortunately it is not destined for the same port her husband was sent and she is the only free Negro to travel at that time. Upon her arrival in Shelburne, she is not welcomed as she had hoped and finally learns that Birchtown is the place for her kind.
Birchtown is where free Negroes lived and waited for the free land that lured them to Nova Scotia. There, people lived in shacks and deep pits dug in the ground. All the residents relied on each other for survival. Meena found paid work with Mr. McArdle at the local paper and helped deliver babies, write letters and read the papers in Birchtown and Shelburne. She even delivered her on baby, a girl she named May. She kept her snug on her back regardless of what she was doing. She soon met the Witherspoon's, a white loyalist family that employed her on days she did not work at the newspaper. She continued to look for Chekura and even took a trip Annapolis Royal to find him but returned with no new information. They continued to live and work in Birchtown and made the best of the life they had together.
Things began to get bad in Shelburne and Birchtown as whites and Negroes competed for the same jobs. Riots broke out, killings occurred and their safety was in constant question. When riots broke out for four days, Meena and May sought refuge with the Witherspoons. When the riots ended, Meena traveled back to Birchtown, but she left May with the Witherspoons in order to secure their shack and ensure safety. Two days later, Meena traveled back to Shelburne to retrieve her daughter but was met with an empty house. She frantically searched for her daughter and someone to answer her questions. Finally Mr. McArdle tells her that the Witherspoon's left the day she returned to Birchtown and they took May with them. Once again, Meena's child was stolen from her.
Birchtown is where free Negroes lived and waited for the free land that lured them to Nova Scotia. There, people lived in shacks and deep pits dug in the ground. All the residents relied on each other for survival. Meena found paid work with Mr. McArdle at the local paper and helped deliver babies, write letters and read the papers in Birchtown and Shelburne. She even delivered her on baby, a girl she named May. She kept her snug on her back regardless of what she was doing. She soon met the Witherspoon's, a white loyalist family that employed her on days she did not work at the newspaper. She continued to look for Chekura and even took a trip Annapolis Royal to find him but returned with no new information. They continued to live and work in Birchtown and made the best of the life they had together.
Things began to get bad in Shelburne and Birchtown as whites and Negroes competed for the same jobs. Riots broke out, killings occurred and their safety was in constant question. When riots broke out for four days, Meena and May sought refuge with the Witherspoons. When the riots ended, Meena traveled back to Birchtown, but she left May with the Witherspoons in order to secure their shack and ensure safety. Two days later, Meena traveled back to Shelburne to retrieve her daughter but was met with an empty house. She frantically searched for her daughter and someone to answer her questions. Finally Mr. McArdle tells her that the Witherspoon's left the day she returned to Birchtown and they took May with them. Once again, Meena's child was stolen from her.
November 25, 2011
PRABE Week 8
Meena's life with Solomon Lindo and his wife is so much different than the plantation. She is not beaten or mistreated and she is given food, clothing and shelter. Mr. Lindo can see the potential in Meena and he teaches her how to keep his books and his wife teaches her proper penmanship. Considering she is still enslaved, she has better circumstances than most. All of that changes with several deaths that leave her alone with Mr. Lindo. He is lost in his grief and rarely acknowledges her.
Chekura finds Meena in Charles Town and informs her that Mr. Lindo is the one that arranged the sale of their son. Shortly after, Meena and Mr. Lindo pack up for a trip to New York. Meena discovers new possibilities and with the war between the British and rebel forces closing the harbor, she is able escape Mr. Lindo before he departs from New York. As time passes, Meena makes a name and a home for herself. She works in a tavern, catches babies, and teaches others to read and write. She also has a home in canvas town with others that are "free".
The British employ Meena to help track all free slaves that have served the British, in one way or another. These free slaves, along with those still owned and those indentured, would be transported to Nova Scotia, the supposed Promised Land. During this lengthy process, Chekura once again finds her. He too is now free and they plan a fresh life together beginning with another baby. As they are about to set sail, Meena is pulled from the ship because someone has made a claim against her. She persuades Chekura to go ahead of her and promises they will find each other again in Nova Scotia.
Chekura finds Meena in Charles Town and informs her that Mr. Lindo is the one that arranged the sale of their son. Shortly after, Meena and Mr. Lindo pack up for a trip to New York. Meena discovers new possibilities and with the war between the British and rebel forces closing the harbor, she is able escape Mr. Lindo before he departs from New York. As time passes, Meena makes a name and a home for herself. She works in a tavern, catches babies, and teaches others to read and write. She also has a home in canvas town with others that are "free".
The British employ Meena to help track all free slaves that have served the British, in one way or another. These free slaves, along with those still owned and those indentured, would be transported to Nova Scotia, the supposed Promised Land. During this lengthy process, Chekura once again finds her. He too is now free and they plan a fresh life together beginning with another baby. As they are about to set sail, Meena is pulled from the ship because someone has made a claim against her. She persuades Chekura to go ahead of her and promises they will find each other again in Nova Scotia.
November 20, 2011
PRABE Week 7
This week in Someone Knows my Name, the story really begins to evolve. Aminata begins her story in Africa where she lived free with her parents. She tells of her parents' chance meeting and the love they shared as a family. She also shares the night that her life was forever changed when both of her parents were killed and she, along with countless others, was kidnapped. They endured a long journey to the coast. Those that survived were forced onto a slave vessel waiting to carry them across the ocean. On the journey, Aminata made friends, old and new, became a woman and most importantly, she survived. Since she was able "catch" babies and able to speak two different languages she became useful to the toubab (white man) and known by the "homelanders" on the ship. On their trip across the ocean the homelanders revolted, killed several toubab, lost plenty of their own but were overpowered and were once again bound in metal shakles. Those that were dead, injured or too weak to be of any use were tossed into the ocean.
Upon arriving in the toubab's land, the homelanders were separated and sold off. Aminata was taken to the plantation of Robinson Appleby along with Fomba, a native of her village that was lost in his mind. She was nursed back to health by Georgia who reached out to the fishnet for her friend Chekura. He was a boy about her age that guarded them along the journey but then was also taken captive and loaded onto the ship. He was owned by the master of a nearby plantation. Their love grew in secret but Appleby found out and made sure she knew he belonged to him completely. Despite her terrible ordeal, Aminata and Chekura fell in love, conceived a child and got married. For this she was stripped down of all her clothes and possessions, shaved bald and made an example of by Appleby.
Aminata delivered a baby boy that she named after her father. She loved her son so much and accepted her conditions because of him. Chekura came to visit when he could sneak away. She continued to nurse her son until he was sold by Appleby and taken from her in the middle of the night at 10 months old. Believing the loss of their son was her fault, Aminata gave up all will to live. She refused to work or eat despite threats and beatings. She was hoping to die. Appleby hoped to get something out of her before it was too late, so he sold her Solomon Lindo, a Jewish Indigo inspector that had previously inspected the Appleby plantation and had offered to buy Aminata.
Upon arriving in the toubab's land, the homelanders were separated and sold off. Aminata was taken to the plantation of Robinson Appleby along with Fomba, a native of her village that was lost in his mind. She was nursed back to health by Georgia who reached out to the fishnet for her friend Chekura. He was a boy about her age that guarded them along the journey but then was also taken captive and loaded onto the ship. He was owned by the master of a nearby plantation. Their love grew in secret but Appleby found out and made sure she knew he belonged to him completely. Despite her terrible ordeal, Aminata and Chekura fell in love, conceived a child and got married. For this she was stripped down of all her clothes and possessions, shaved bald and made an example of by Appleby.
Aminata delivered a baby boy that she named after her father. She loved her son so much and accepted her conditions because of him. Chekura came to visit when he could sneak away. She continued to nurse her son until he was sold by Appleby and taken from her in the middle of the night at 10 months old. Believing the loss of their son was her fault, Aminata gave up all will to live. She refused to work or eat despite threats and beatings. She was hoping to die. Appleby hoped to get something out of her before it was too late, so he sold her Solomon Lindo, a Jewish Indigo inspector that had previously inspected the Appleby plantation and had offered to buy Aminata.
November 13, 2011
PRABE Week 6
This week I began a new book that was suggested by a friend. It is Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I'm prepared for a brutally honest read into the life of a girl kidnapped from Africa as a child and enslaved in the colonies. The story begins with Aminata Diallo, also called Meena Dee, as an old woman in London 1802. Right now, Aminata begins to talk about her past and how her life used to be. Now that she's old she just wants her parents or her own children to care for her, but she has neither. She is now in the care of abolitionists who brought her to England so she could "help change the course of history". They feed and clothe her and she signs petitions, does public speaking and continues to tell her story to anyone that asks or is willing to listen in the hopes of ending the slave trade.
November 3, 2011
PRABE Week 5
I finished The Help this week. The ladies finished writing their book and Skeeter sent it off to New York. They patiently waited to hear from the Ms. Stein and were surprised, relieved and scared that it was going to be published. After the books release, rumors slowly begin to spread about the city and maids in the book. Although no one confirms the identities of anyone mentioned in the book everyone has their suspicions and some maids lose their jobs while others are offered jobs for a lifetime. Skeeter receives a job offer from New York and although reluctant to leave her friends and family, she accepts the job offer. Before she leaves, she tells Aiblileen that more books will be published and more money will be coming. She also sets her up with her Miss Myrna column. She is fired from her postition and takes it as a sign of new beginnings. Minny finally gains the courage to leave her abusive husband and will continue to work for the Foote's. Overall, I thought it was a daring story of courage and friendship in a troubling time in our country's history and although I would have preferred more in the ending, the ladies leave me with hope for their lives and the future of Jackson.
October 30, 2011
PRABE Week 4
After the unfortunate jailing of one of the maids because of a petty theft blown way out or proportion, Skeeter finally has all of the maids she needs to interview for the book. She continues to meet with them in secret and worries that everything will come out in the open at any minute. After dating Stuart for a couple of months, she and her parents are finally invited for dinner at the Senator's home. There, she realizes her father shares her same views about colored people and that Stuart is still in love with his ex-fiance.
Aibileen has been faithfully facilitating the interviews with Skeeter and the other maids. She continues to work for Miss Leefolt and tells Mae Mobley everyday how special and kind she is. She tells her stories of whites and colored being the same and being friends and the little girl enjoys the stories.
Minny continues to work for Miss Celia even though she thinks she is a horrible drunk. She soon realizes that the liquid in the brown bottles is not alcohol when she finds Miss Celia sitting in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor. She had been drinking a concoction she hoped would help her keep her baby inside of her but sadly it did not work. She loses baby number 4 in the toilet and begs Minny not to tell her husband.
Aibileen has been faithfully facilitating the interviews with Skeeter and the other maids. She continues to work for Miss Leefolt and tells Mae Mobley everyday how special and kind she is. She tells her stories of whites and colored being the same and being friends and the little girl enjoys the stories.
Minny continues to work for Miss Celia even though she thinks she is a horrible drunk. She soon realizes that the liquid in the brown bottles is not alcohol when she finds Miss Celia sitting in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor. She had been drinking a concoction she hoped would help her keep her baby inside of her but sadly it did not work. She loses baby number 4 in the toilet and begs Minny not to tell her husband.
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