Tademy left her career as the vicepresident of computer company sun microsystems to begin research on what would become her first novel. Cane river by lalita tademy 2001, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Mixing family history, fiction, and fact made the story rich and unforgettable enough that cane river became an oprahs book club. Lalita tademy traced her ancestry to the cane riverred river area in a extraordinary book called. Go to cookbooks cajun, creole, louisiana, nova scotia, basque. Cane river, which chronicles the lives of four women on a creole plantation, and red river. Beginning with tademys greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother elisabeth, this is a family saga that sweeps from the early days of slavery through the civil war into a precivil rights southa unique and moving slice of. Beginning with her greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother, a slave owned by a creole family, lalita tademy chronicles four generations of. Elisabeth and her daughter suzette work in the house of a frenchspeaking creole family.
Cane river by lalita tademy reading guidebook club. It was here, on a mediumsized creole plantation owned by a family named derbanne, that author lalita tademy found her familys rootsand the stories of four astonishing women who battled vast injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement. Lalita tademy was vice president of sun microsystems until she left corporate life to research the history of her family. April 17, 2001 an accomplished first novel weaves fragments of reallife family lore into a vivid tale of four generations of. Cane river was a new york times bestseller and was selected for oprahs book club.
Lalita tademy lived in 1964, at address, california. Upon graduating from high school as a national merit scholar, tademy enrolled in the honors program at howard. Her second novel, red river, was released to critical acclaim in 2007. In her latest book, red river, the accomplished author shares the true story of the colfax riot. Tademy takes historical fact and mingles it with fiction to weave a vivid and dramatic account of what life was like for the four remarkable women who came before her.
A new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pickthe unique and. Lalita tademy books list of books by author lalita tademy. Her mother elizabeth works in the kitchen of the plantation rosedew, and when suzette is old enough, she learns the ways of the kitchen from her mother. Suzette, philome suzettes daughter by a frenchman named eugene daurat and emily philomenes daughter with a white man named narcisse. The migration of black and creole families moving to california from louisiana began as a trickle in 1927, in the wake of that years great flood, and grew. It was chosen as an oprahs book club selection in a blend of fact and fiction, tademy tells the story of four generations of her slaveborn female ancestors elisabeth, suzette, philomene, and emily following their trajectories from the 1830s to the 1930s. The book is very thought provoking on many levels and well worth the time to read it, especially if you like genealogy. Vhartpowers dec 27, 2018 built from an exploration of her own ancestors, tademys cane river is an impressive melding of historical documents and fiction, pulling together multiple generations of a single family and. Large populations of these creoles can be found in new orleans,the acadiana region of southern louisiana,the cane riverisle brevelle area near natchitoches and in east texas and houston. The story of red river begins in 1873, and follows the ramifications of an incident on easter sunday of that year on successive generations of two families involved.
Emily fredieu, who is given a year of convent schooling in new orleans. Join us in chatting with natalie baszile and lalita tademy on friday, november 14, from 12. Nonetheless, her parents made sure their household louisiana west maintained a definite noncalifornia edge, including a steady supply of grits, gumbo, cornbread, and collard greens, and a stream of other transplanted southerners eager to share. A new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pickthe unique and deeply moving. Written by scholars, many of creole descent, the volume wrangles with the stuff of legend and conjecture while. My mother is gone now, but in addition to her motherhood role, i also give her credit as corporate executive and new york times bestselling author. Her debut, cane river, was oprahs summer book pick in 2001, translated into 11 languages, and became san franciscos one city, one book in 2007. When cane river was published in 2001, lalita tademy established herself as the chronicler of her own familys life, since their arrival here as slaves in the 1800s. Montalvo arts center lalita tademy in conversation. They are women whose lives begin in slavery, who weather the civil war. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Lalita tademy is the new york times bestselling author of three historical novels. A former vicepresident at sun microsystems, lalita tademy left the corporate world to immerse herself in tracing her familys past and in writing.
Find family history information in a whole new way create a free family tree for yourself or for lalita tademy and well search for valuable new. She followed up with red river in 2007, and her most recent novel, citizens creek, is out this month. Leaving her executive position at sun microsystems, lalita tademy diligently researched her familys history and found that her ancestors were among the casualties and survivors of that terrible event. Willie dee by lalita tademy is excerpted from the book all the women in my family sing. Weaving together history and the story of her own family, lalita tademy, author of the acclaimed new york times bestseller cane river, has written an epic work of fiction. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on cane river by lalita tademy. A new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pickthe unique and deeply moving saga of four generations of africanamerican women whose journey from slavery to freedom begins on a creole plantation in louisiana. Even though you know the size and shape and colors youre working with,more creating a narrative is like putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Warner books i think what lalita was able to do with this story is open the door for a lot of people who want to trace their own roots or look at what their heritage, what that legacy has meant for them. Now both aspects of this unique people and culture are given thorough, illuminating scrutiny in creole, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary history of louisianas creole population. Cow tom, born into slavery in alabama in 1810 and sold to a creek indian chief before his tenth birthday, possessed an. Even though you know the size and shape and colors youre working with, progress is, at times, painfully slow and seemingly endless, and at other times. Her second novel, red river, was released to critical. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page.
Wasnt for my husband, wouldnt be no colored school for colfax, louisiana. Red river examines reconstructionera massacre novelist lalita tademy explores her family tree in her latest book, red river. Lalita tademy was born in berkeley, california, far from her parents southern roots. From silicon valley, california to louisiana, lalita tademy shares the journey of tracing her genealogythe inspiration behind writing cane river. Her first novel, cane river, was based on her mothers family and was chosen as an oprah book club selection. The new york times bestselling author of the oprah book club pick cane river brings us the evocative story of a onceenslaved man who buys his freedom after serving as a translator during the american indian wars, and his granddaughter, who sustains his legacy of courage. The novel cane river is so closely based on lalita tademys ancestors. Lalita tademy cane river tademy tells part of our history that we would like to forget. In an authors note at the end of the book, she tells of her ancient relatives reluctance to speak of the colfax courthouse slaughter and the. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Lalita tademy creating a narrative is like putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Walking away from the american dream i was born in berkeley, california, in a place called castro valley. Cane river book lawrence public library bibliocommons.
It was here, on a mediumsized creole plantation owned by a family named derbanne, that author lalita tademy found her familys roots and the stories of four astonishing women who battled vast injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement. Beginning with her greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother, a slave owned by a creole family, lalita tademy chronicles four generations of strong, determined black women as they. Lalita tademys second historical novel, red river is set during reconstructionera louisiana a time period and subject matter often summarily skimmed in our history books. She followed up with red river in 2007, and her most recent novel. The title of this book is citizens creek and it was written by lalita tademy. Great book i have read it more than one time theresa coin coin is my 8th grand. She did a fantastic job of merging historical fact and family lore into fiction.
Lalita tademy, author info, published books, bio, photo. This book was so interesting,i finished it quickly and. The word creole evokes a richness rivaled only by the terms widespread misunderstanding. Red river a historical novel by lalita tademy softcover price. I appreciated the photos that were in the book of the family members that she wrote about, and it gave some new. In 1956, the family moved to castro valley, california, where tademy completed her elementary, junior high, and high school education. Red river chronicles her paternal ancestors and their role in the colfax riot of 1873. Buy this book five generations and a hundred years in the. Teche a history of louisianas most famous bayou 2016 he also.
Women write the worldessays on equality, justice, and freedom. New york times bestselleroprahs book club pickthe unique and deeply moving saga of four generations of africanamerican women whose journey from slavery to freedom begins on a creole plantation in louisiana. A new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pickthe unique and deeply moving saga of four generations of africanamerican women whose journey. All books are used in like new or very good condition unless otherwise noted. Women is the longlivers at the base of the tademy family tree. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. The author, lalita tademy, created this work of fiction based on stories she heard about. The history and heritage of the creoles who live in a community called isle brevelle on the cane river in louisiana. She successfully intertwines history and fiction to educate and entertain the reader. As a white woman, with black friends, i found this book by a black woman fascinating, wellwritten and delightful to read. As someone new to the history of louisianas creole population. W hen the novel opens, three out of her four paternal greatgreat.
The new york times bestseller and oprahs book club pick the unique and deeply moving epic. The philadelphia inquirerthe novels of new york times bestselling author lalita tademy, a former silicon valley executive, have been translated into 11 languages and assigned as required reading for stanford university freshmen. Lalita tademy went on to write two other works of historical fiction called red river and citizens creek, but before cane river, she was not a professional writer. Stanford university selected cane river as assigned reading for all incoming freshmen in 2015. Stanford university recently selected cane river as assigned reading for all incoming freshmen in 2015. History and fiction intertwine to create an engrossing story lalita tademy left the corporate world to research her family history. It spans 7 years of family history centered on three female characters. Tademys debut novel cane river was oprahs summer book pick in 2001. We all had it hard, but the men, they had it worse, specially those what come up on life from the front. Beginning with her greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother, a slave owned by a creole family, lalita tademy chronicles four generations of strong, determined black women as they battle injustice to unite their family and forge success on their own terms. Lalita tademy chats with bookbrowse about her second novel, red river, describing what it has been like to spend 10 years immersed in her familys history while writing cane river and red river, her attempts to trace her family back before their arrival in america and what shes working on now. Its the story of the role her ancestors played in a massacre that. Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she takes her familys story even further, back to a littlechronicled, deliberatelyforgotten time.
S ome years ago, lalita tademy left her job as vicepresident of a fortune 500 company to research her colorful family history. Hailed as powerful, accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademys first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection. The history and legacy of louisianas free people of color. Opening in 1834 on a mediumsize creole plantation worked by frenchspeaking slaves, the novel boldly explores the intricate relationships. They were women whose lives began in slavery, who weathered the civil war. Lalita tademy left the corporate world to research her family history. The civil war had ended years before, and the colored had been given their freedom. With maxfield, she will discuss the challenges and rewards of. Hailed as powerful,accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademys first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection.