![]() ![]() With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. Isaiah and Samuel’s love, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation’s harmony. But when an older man-a fellow slave-seeks to gain favor by preaching the master’s gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. Isaiah was Samuel’s and Samuel was Isaiah’s. ![]() Despite all the pain and suffering, they still have each other. That is not the case with The Prophets.īut the one bright spot in the novel is the relationship between the two enslaved men: Isaiah and Samuel. Just scary enough without going too far into the the actual crimes against humanity. I think many media, whether it’s books or film, tend to almost downplay the brutality of events-from slavery to the Holocaust. The author is up front and vivid with the descriptions of the horrors of slavery. This book is probably the hardest one I’ve ever read regarding the subject matter. ![]()
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