I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t rock my world. Clearly this book’s claim to fame is the moral conflict a person owning others of the same race. I found the temporal movements between the past,present, and future of the characters to be confusing at times. I believe that this book takes more active reading than I was willing to give. I would recommend this book. Perhaps my expectations were too high because of its Pulitzer status.

clearly a lot of research went into the book and the mass of historical details almost overwhelms at times. Much like any novel about slavery, it shows the far-reaching effects of the institution and the social costs. The twist about blacks owning slaves is what won it the pullitzer because it adds more moral ambiguity. Like all historical novels that dwell on atmospherics and the accumulation of versimulitude sometimes the story gets lost. Still a powerful novel.

Just adding to my list of Pulitzer Prize books…