Property

Property by Valerie Martin

196 pages

This book was difficult to read in some ways.  It was well written and a really good story, but the main character is a difficult character.  Manon is the wife of a sugar plantation owner who is bored and angry that her husband has children with the slave she brought with her to the marriage.  Because her husband is awful, you want to be able to identify with Manon, but her views on slavery and the way she treats their property aren’t really any better than her husband.  It’s an interesting look into what the mindset of the average white southerner probably was at the time but it’s disconcerting to read an account from this perspective and to want to identify with someone who is on the owning side of slavery.  Anyone who has an interest in this time period in history will probably like this book.