I was surprised at how much I learned and truly ended up
enjoying this historical novel even though I did not have a direct personal
connection. Spanning nearly all of the 19th century, this novel
describes the life – hardships and triumphs – of a black family whose lives are
intertwined with the Creek Nation. Originally slaves of a Native American Creek
chief, Cow Tom and his family become freedmen at the end of the Civil War and
ultimately own their own ranch and cattle business. Their journey is a
difficult one – due to prejudice, disease, poverty and personal betrayals.
Citizens Creek is really two stories in one: first, the story
focuses on Cow Tom and his abilities as a translator which leads to some
privileges and many dangers. In that
section, readers learn about historical events like the Seminole Wars, Removal
Act, the Trail of Tears, and life at Fort Gibson after the Civil War. Next, we follow his granddaughter, Rose, and
learn about homesteading and the life in Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), and
the grit and perseverance needed, especially for women.
One concern I have is that although this novel is based on a
real family who had some amazing accomplishments, there were seemingly unnecessary inaccuracies and Rose could have been more fully developed. In fact, the
last third of the book felt a bit rushed with a shift towards more personal
issues and less about the broader trends and actions of the time. There is much, however, in this novel which
will relate to Junior Theme, with thought-provoking sections portraying how minorities
and those who are different have been ostracized and poorly treated during
America’s history. Like As Far As the Eye Can See, this title probes lesser known aspects of America's Western expansion. And the story continues: a much more recent infographic
dealing with race relations was published recently by Christian Science
Monitor.
Other titles by Lalita Tademy, a best-selling author and
former vice-president of Sun Microsystems, are also multi-generational family sagas;
they are set in the South and include Cane River and Red River.
