I started it and had a hard time putting it down to get to my normal activities. The title yellow crocus is a symbol of hope a first indication of something brewing, something new cropping up such an apt title for this story of a young slave woman mattie who is assigned to be a wet nursecaretaker for her masters daughter, lisbeth. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim 2014, paperback for sale. Yellow crocus is a heartbreaking tale of the relationships between mothers and their children during a darker period in history. In addition to being a writer, laila is a birth doula and director of children and family ministries at the first unitarian church of. What, if any, parallels do you see between the culture and the central conflicts of the narrative in yellow crocus and in our current society. I hesitate to share more about the story because it is hard for me to write about the way this book affected me without taking away from the experience of you discovering it for yourself.
Submit comment to laila or request to schedule a meeting, skype, or phone call with laila ibrahim as a guest speaker. Yellow crocus is a stunningly written tale of life during this time. Summary by book junkie 2016, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. First up thanks to celia for suggesting yellow crocus by laila ibrahim for our most recent buddy read. But this is coming from someone who has read many books on slavery. Instead of delving too deeply into the actual horrors of slavery the daily abuses and mistreatments, it focuses instead on the tenderness that can grow in the most unlikely of places. As this is a companion volume, youll want to have a copy of the actual book on hand before reading this. Crocus flavus, known as yellow crocus or dutch yellow crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus crocus of the family iridaceae. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim good books, kindle books.
Split between the perspectives of lisbeth, the daughter of the household, and mattie, her black wet nurse. Dec 17, 2010 yellow crocus held me transfixed, rapidly turning the pages to see what would taken next. I have read the help too and loved it, these books are similar in theme, but written differently. In addition to being a writer, laila is a birth doula and director of children and family ministries at the first unitarian church of oakland. Yellow crocus is a relatively slow moving book that draws you in with its powerful simplicity, detailing the striking differences between a life of slavery and the life of the rich white masters. Race relations, fiction, slavery, women slaves, plantation life. Moments after her birth to the mistress of a sprawling virginia plantation, lisbeth wainwright is entrusted to mattie, an enslaved wet nurse. Paperback, kindle, audiobook yellow crocus is an unputdownable book.
Buy yellow crocus by laila ibrahim online at alibris. Jan 24, 20 yellow crocus offers moving proof of how the greatest social change often blooms forth from small personal acts of love. This compelling historical novel is a richly evocative tale of love, loss, and redemption set during one of the most sinister chapters of american history. Paperback, 238 pages published december 17th 2010 by flaming chalice press available on. It grows wild on the slopes of greece, former yugoslavia, bulgaria, romania and northwestern turkey, with fragrant bright orangeyellow flowers which tennyson likened to a fire. Its a mustread for anyone who enjoys antebellum historical fiction or is looking for a compelling story to add to their book club reading list. May 25, 2012 the most recent book ive read is yellow crocus by laila ibrahim, and i have to say, i was captivated by this book. Yellow crocus is an engaging, thoughtprovoking story. In fact, practically anyone who enjoys period reading will find this book as wonderful as discovering freshly bloomed crocuses poking through the snow. What were some of the key experiences that lisbeth had that changed her understanding of the world in which she lived. Moments after lisbeth is born, shes taken from her mother and han. Unlike most flowers, crocuses bloom in the most adverse conditions.
Buy a cheap copy of yellow crocus book by laila ibrahim. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of yellow crocus by laila ibrahim. For example, theres a scene in the book when maddie the slave wet nurse asked the. It starts out centered on the very close relationship between the white plantation owners daughter and her black wet nursenanny. Yellow crocus held me transfixed, rapidly turning the pages to see what would taken next. A true love story spanning many years between a nurse and her charge 2 people found this helpful. Yellow crocus takes place in the mid 1800d in virginia, prior to the civil war. Yellow crocus book johnson county library bibliocommons. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come.
Yellow crocus offers moving proof of how the greatest social change often blooms forth from small personal acts of love. Yellow crocus is a precivil war historical fiction novel detailing the close relationship between a virginia slave owners daughter, lisbeth, and her familys slave, mattie, a new mother who is separated from her own baby to become the wet nurse and later longterm mammie of lisbeth. Laila ibrahims education and experiences in multiracial, developmental psychology provided ample fodder for her first novel, yellow crocus. The most recent book ive read is yellow crocus by laila ibrahim, and i have to say, i was captivated by this book. A sample of yellow crocus the story behind the yellow crocus. Jun 05, 2012 yellow crocus is a stunningly written tale of life during this time, with characters that you can almost see and hear and a plot that feels like a true story which has been handed down through the generations. As always it was a pleasure discussing our thoughts on this book. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim when laila ibrahim wrote yellow crocus she answered my longstanding, unspoken request for a book about the relationship between white children in the precivil war south and the african american slaves were so much a part of their lives.
However, this book really loses its grip after the nanny leaves. As the story begins, mattie is a field slave, tending the. For businessexclusive pricing, quantity discounts and downloadable vat invoices. Aug 19, 2014 yellow crocus by laila ibrahim, 9781477824757, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It is a small crocus 56 cm 22 in, despite the names of some cultivars. Laila ibrahims education and experiences in multiracial, developmental psychology provided ample fodder for. It is the story of the longlasting relationship between a privileged white heiress elizabeth wainwright and a black woman named mattie. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim book cover, description, publication history.
Yellow crocus, set in 1837 virginia, opens with twenty year old field slave matties world being turned upside down. The 2014 novel yellow crocus by author laila ibrahim is set in the antebellum south and. This text serves as a companion and guide to the bestseller yellow crocus by laila ibrahim it will help to broaden the readers understanding of the book, and highlight insights that might otherwise be overlooked. While other flowers need aerated beds and warm weather, crocuses grow best in gritty soil and blossom in early spring, even when snow is still on the ground.
An interesting time to be sure, but horrific in its enslavement of african americans. That knowledge must have filled me as quickly and surely as the milk from her breasts. The novel was published in 2010, and still is one of the most wanted books. All of our paper waste is recycled within the uk and turned into corrugated cardboard. Yellow crocus, set in the antebellum era, tells the story of hattie, an enslaved wet nurse, living at fair oakes, a virginia plantation, and the white baby she cares. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership.
This is definitely one of those books that reels you in from the first page and keeps you invested right until the end. Instead of delving too deeply into the actual horrors of slavery the daily abuses and mistreatments, it focuses instead on the tenderness that can grow in. I would love a sequel, but i know too often sequels dont even compare to the 1st book. Yellow crocus laila ibrahim 9780984502202 netgalley.
All in all a well written heart warming story that left me emotionally spent, feeling great compassion for both mattie and lisbeth, because although they came from the extreme opposite side of the tracks they both had their own struggles to survive. Lisbeth reaction to edwards raping the field hand was naive. Laila ibrahims debut novel yellow crocus rocketed to the sky. Mattie is one of the storys two central characters. In cold climates, their cheery blossoms that often open when theres still snow on the ground. Yellow crocus laila ibrahim, 2010 flaming chalice press 240 pp. Dec 17, 2010 yellow crocus was a wonderful surprise of gifted storytelling by laila ibrahim. Dec 20, 2019 yellow crocus is a sweet and simple story of the complex and forbidden love between a slave and the daughter of her owner.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Dec 17, 2010 yellow crocus is an engaging, thoughtprovoking story. Yellow crocus is a compelling novel of love, loss, and redemption set during one of the most sinister chapters of american history. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim the book sandwich book. If you love historical fiction, especially the precivil war era, this is the book for you. Yellow crocus, written by laila ibrahim, is set in the mid1800s american south. It grows wild on the slopes of greece, former yugoslavia, bulgaria, romania and northwestern turkey, with fragrant bright orange yellow flowers which tennyson likened to a fire. Richly detailed with lush, living, characters, i was immersed in the culture and times of mid1800s virginia. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim reading guidebook club. Laila ibrahim spent much of her career as a preschool director, and that, coupled with her experiences as a teacher and her education in developmental psychology and attachment theory, provided ample fodder for the story of mattie and lisbeth in yellow crocus.
Yellow crocus moments after lisbeth is born, shes taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Yellow crocus by laila ibrahim, 9781477824757, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. In fact, practically anyone who enjoys period reading will find this book as wonderful as discovering freshly bloomed crocuses poking through the. Although my family owned her, although she occupied the center of my universe, her deepest affections lay elsewhere. Yellow crocus, set in the antebellum era, tells the story of hattie, an enslaved wetnurse, living at fair oakes, a virginia plantation, and the white baby she cares. Jan 12, 2016 yellow crocus by laila ibrahim my rating. Crocus flowers come in easter egg colors of purple, yellow, lavender, cream and white. Moments after lisbeth is born, shes taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Yellow crocus is a sweet and simple story of the complex and forbidden love between a slave and the daughter of her owner. Crocus are one of the first flowers to bloom each spring. Over time, these carefree bulbs will naturalize and multiply to produce more flowers every year. She lives in a small cohousing community in berkeley, ca, with her wife, rinda, and two. Though lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but. Upon elizabeths birth, mattie becomes her wetnurse and, over time, her mammy and confidante.
637 1505 1100 304 643 816 1457 410 411 1258 1020 307 420 504 631 1007 1210 1104 5 1060 1469 1348 1105 590 1354 1492 511 750 66 162 563 621 347 358