4 stars
A fantastic story about a young girl making her way through life in Reconstruction-era Louisiana.
Though slavery in America has ended, ten-year old orphan, Sugar, is still stuck on the River Road Plantation working the sugarcane fields. All she wants to do is have fun, but she’s the only kid left on the plantation… unless you count Billy, the land owner’s son, whom she’s forbidden to talk to. Everything changes when some new arrivals come to the plantation, workers from China hired to work the sugarcane fields alongside the remaining formerly enslaved Black workers.
A wonderful exploration of childhood, human connection, change, confronting prejudice, and empathy.
This was a wonderful book. Sugar is such a great character. She’s stubborn, adventurous, strong-willed, caring, kind, and always ready for fun. A bit of a mischief maker, she’s constantly toeing the line between calling out bad behavior and staying quiet to protect those she cares about.
All the different character dynamics were so interesting. I loved how Sugar learned from Beau and the other Chinese workers. I also really loved her friendship with Billy and how she was able to make him understand his privilege and recognize mistreatment.
Fantastically written. There are definitely some difficult to read moments and topics including death of a parent, the separation of enslaved families, whipping, discrimination, and racism, but they are presented in a realistic way and balanced out with compassion, friendship, and moments of joy.
Such a fascinating read. I loved this book. Great for fans of historical fiction.