Dear Bookclub,
Kate's sliders, salad and pie(!) comforted our group as we gathered for our discussion of Ilyon Woo's 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner, "Master Slave Husband Wife". Woo's astounding biography of Ellen and William Craft introduced us to an unimaginable journey that we surprisingly knew nothing about. The above image, as imagined by artist Judith Hunt, is posted in an article about the Crafts on the America's Black Holocaust Museum website. There is much to explore:
https://www.abhmuseum.org/ellen-and-william-craft-make-a-crafty-escape-from-slavery/
Karen's wondering about the authenticity of the story was initially surprising, given the detailed notes included at the back of the book, yet the notion of morphing history by filling in blanks is intriguing. The author's "A Note On Sources" preceding the "Notes" section should be re-visited to fully appreciate both the writing process behind the book and the seams Woo revealed 'so that readers can examine the sources directly and formulate their own conclusions.' Truly, beyond the telling of the passing, exposure to the era and history was a the real gift of this book. Learning of the Crafts' dedicating their time to sharing their story on the speaking circuit and ultimately fleeing the United States were two such aspects to me.
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| The Crystal Palace |
Finally, Ilywon Woo's first named the book with the subtitle, "An American Love Story" which felt bristly to me for I wanted to believe the passion for justice beyond a coupling union was at the heart of their motivation. Woo strongly felt the subtitle expressed the jung, a Korean word meaning something like an enduring connection. Please read more about Woo's thoughts in her website piece:
And play the game, match this photo in her website and you will win by reading her charming piece, "An Asian Father’s Gift: Permission to Fail".
Kate's suggestions for an upcoming read:
"The Outside Boy" Jeanine Cummins *chosen
"The Island of Missing Trees" Elif Shakaf
"Nothing to See Here" Kevin Wilson
Up next:
Happy reading,
LK
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