Review: A realistic and thought provoking tale of black slavery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2013
This book holds an interesting twist on Black American slavery as most books in this genre deal with tales of horror before anything else of note. The ribbon tier starts by showing how well Master Cunningham treats his slaves. He believed in feeding them a decent meal, dressing them in good clothes and not working them to exhaustion. He has his own demons to fight, but with the help of his wife, manages to overcome most of them. Life suddenly changes for Master Cunningham when his little boys dies and his wife swiftly follows. His faith in God appears to be rocked by the process and a mean streak a mile wide appears in his nature. His character is ultimately proud, devious and sly. It isn't long before it's his turn to depart this world, though, and his ranch, devoid of any direct heirs, passes to Jeb. It soon turns out that Jeb's journey isn't going to be any easier than his predecessor's.I loved the numerous references to ribbons both with regards to the age old tree magic and within the chapter headings. I disliked the chapters which revolved around 'glowing green eyes' because whilst I appreciate that the slave is illiterate, having four or five pages of messy un-punctuated text makes for virtually impossible reading.My Verdict? The Ribbon Tier is a realistic tale of black slavery and whilst it can be an intimidating and demanding read, it is very easy to submerse yourself in the world of pain, suffering and malcontent.