Publisher's Synopsis
At the most fundamental level, history is personal. One Hundred Pearls explodes the myths and stereotypes of America's unfortunate flirtation with "the peculiar institution" by personalizing all the primary venues of slavery through the eyes of Sadie, a healer stolen from her Gambian home. Her century-long life is a cross section of American history and its ongoing battle to live out the principles of its founding. No other novel simultaneously interrogates the killing fields of rice, cotton, and ironworking plantations through the eyes of a singular human being. Wherever she lives, Sadie invests her healing arts to forge a community of human beings and openly challenges the assumptions of her white masters. After decades of savage beatings, sexual assaults, and the loss of nearly everyone she loves, Sadie slowly turns the tables with astonishing success. She embodies the spirit of her people and their irrepressible drive to prevail and flourish in the face of overwhelming adversity. In an age when jingoism replaces historical fact, One Hundred Pearls compels us to continue the vital conversation about race and equality that must take place if we are to preserve the nation's soul. We must first acknowledge our history through the eyes of Sadie and others like her before we can embrace a future that is both diverse and inclusive.
