Yellow Crocus: Yellow Crocus, Book 1

Beautiful debut novel!
Goodreads Description- Mattie was never truly mine. That knowledge must have filled me as quickly and surely as the milk from her breasts. Although my family `owned’ her, although she occupied the center of my universe, her deepest affections lay elsewhere. So along with the comfort of her came the fear that I would lose her some day. This is our story…So begins Lisbeth Wainwright’s compelling tale of coming-of-age in antebellum Virginia. Born to white plantation owners but raised by her enslaved black wet nurse, Mattie, Lisbeth’s childhood unfolds on the line between two very different worlds. Growing up under the tender care of Mattie, Lisbeth adopts her surrogate mother’s deep-seated faith in God, her love of music and black-eyed peas, and the tradition of hunting for yellow crocuses in the early days of spring. In time, Lisbeth realizes she has freedoms and opportunities that Mattie does not have, though she’s confined by the societal expectations placed on women born to privilege. As Lisbeth grows up, she struggles to reconcile her love for her caregiver with her parents’ expectations, a task made all the more difficult as she becomes increasingly aware of the ugly realities of the American slavery system. When Lisbeth bears witness to a shockingly brutal act, the final vestiges of her naiveté crumble around her. Lisbeth realizes she must make a choice, one that will require every ounce of the courage she learned from her beloved Mattie. This compelling historical novel is a richly evocative tale of love, loss, and redemption set during one of the most sinister chapters of American history.This book was gripping from the word go. A freebie on Kindle a few weeks ago, I thought this might just be another book following the theme of the popular ‘The Help’ published a book and a made into a hit movie. What I didn’t expect was to be dragged into the story until I couldn’t help but keep turning the pages until the end. This wonderful debut novel, Yellow Crocus, follows the story of Mattie, a slave in pre-Civil War Virginia who is taken away from her young baby in order to act as wet nurse to Lisbeth, the daughter of the couple who owns her. Mattie must trust the care of her own newborn to the other field slaves while she spends her time in the Big House raising another woman’s child. I was amazed and saddened at the same time that Lisbeth bonded with Mattie, a field hand, than she ever did with her own mother, Anne. Amazed at the irony that these so called “non-humans” were good enough to nurse a white baby from their “negro” breasts and to care for them through childhood and then that same child would grow up to learn the ugly racism of society. I was saddened that Lisbeth never did bond with her real mother and that her real mother was just fine with that. I was shocked during a scene in the book when Lizbeth’s mother saw what nursing was and grimaced and stated it was “unseemly” Mattie eventually has another baby and is returned to the fields and not a day goes by that Lisbeth desperately misses her nurse. As Lisbeth grows and learns the ways of being a proper young woman of the South, she realizes that she feels different than most of her friends about the issue of slavery and finds herself troubled by the tug of war between her true feelings and what society deems appropriate.Ultimately this is a story of heartbreak and loss, love and loyalty. Above all, it is a story of slavery. Laila Ibrahim works hard to stay true to the characters she has created without letting it turn into yet another story of a white lady swooping down and fixing the problem of racism (bookstores and movie theatres are already overflowing with that story, told a hundred ways). She has been compared to Kathryn Stockett (The Help) but, frankly, Kathryn Stockett wishes. Laila Ibrahim does not turn her black characters into caricatures and her white characters into heroes. If I do have a criticism, however, it is that she does not go far enough into the grim reality of slavery and racism. She loses her nerve, wishes too much for her characters to all have resolutions that leave the reader feeling comforted and comfortable. However, even now in the 21st century, maybe society still isn’t ready to hear or be reminded of our country’s terrible past. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I do think the story would have been even more powerful than it was if some of the characters, particularly Lisbeth, hadn’t turned out to be quite so sympathetic so easily. I am certain that in the late 1800’s, Lisbeth’s sympathy would be met with much more bitterness than what was told. But either way, I do urge you to decide for yourself and read Yellow Crocus. If this is the first work of Ibrahim, I can only imagine what other wonderful treasures she will provide readers with in her future writings! 5 stars!

A Must Read…
Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim is a moving novel about the dear relationship between a wet nurse and the child she loves. Laila Ibrahim does a beautiful job of creating a true warmth and compassion for the main character Mattie, and the child she learns to love, Lisabeth (or Miss Elizabeth for a more formal approach).The novel examines the difficult relationship between slaves and their owners during a time when Ohio represented the free state of escape.Mattie, a slave that previously worked the fields, is brought unexpectedly into the house as a wet nurse/nanny when the woman originally hired to do this takes ill and dies. Mattie, of course, is nursing her own infant son and struggles to pull herself away from her flesh and blood to raise a white child that is not her own. But, slowly, the relationship develops and Mattie comes to love Lisabeth as her child. Mattie, painted beautifully as a strong and smart woman that is not formally educated, does understand the nuances of loving a baby. It is not this child’s fault she is where she is and this drives Mattie’s passion to make sure this little girl is raised right; with love and respect for all people, not only those without a dark color.Lisabeth, the child, is raised in two worlds – Mattie’s down in the quarters where she plays on Sundays, and her parents, full of lessons and manners and debutant balls. She is promised to marry, but as she watches the behavior of her brother and the other boys, she begins to find an uncomfortable dynamic between the owners and their slaves, save one boy who isn’t like the rest.Meanwhile, Mattie is battling her own wars trying desperately to find her husband and son, that have run away to attempt to be free. Mattie, using the last bit of strength she has, sets off with her small daughter in tow, to find the family she’s afraid is lost for good. Lisabeth is devastated to lose the one woman she loved, and trusted.Her influence over Miss Elizabeth is never forgotten, even after she leaves their home, and this compassion surfaces in the girl she raised. Forsaking her family and her status in the community, Lisabeth makes a decision that will bring her relationship with Mattie full circle.Yellow Crocus is a quick read. I could not put the book down and when I absolutely had to, I found myself thinking about it. Not only the story, but truly feeling the depth and emotion of the characters in the novel. The deep south setting is more surreal than painted, and while fried chicken and finger sandwiches dollop the landscape, the beauty of the novel resides within the setting of the characters hearts.If you are a fan of The Help, this is a book you don’t want to miss. While the overarching theme of slavery and the plight of white against black is there, the true development happens in the love of mothers and daughters – born or raised.To learn more about Laila Ibrahim, visit her author page on Amazon.

What a love storyStrong Charakters making wise decisions to live a live without lies.Wish everyone I love will read it.Thank you for that lovely novel.

This is one of the best historical slavery novels I’ve read–it tells the heart-wrenching tale of Lisbeth, a young mistress of a plantation who grows up with a former field slave, Mattie, as her attendant. From an early age Lisbeth prefers the company of Mattie to her own mother, and shows empathy for Mattie’s situation. Lisbeth grows old enough to understand what is going on. She discovers a shameful family secret and experiences a traumatizing incident before her own marriage. Though circumstances and the years separate these two women, there is always the expectation on the reader’s part after Mattie takes a backseat in the narrative of when these two will reunite and under what circumstances (we hope happy but in those times there wasn’t much happiness going around).The dialogue is fantastic–instead of cartoonish or exaggerated speech that is common in many of these types of novels for African-American characters. In addition, the historical details were excellent: authentic, but in a way that did not read like a boring textbook. For instance, when I tried to read the Benjamin Janvier novels by Barbara Hambly, I felt like I needed a PhD in Louisiana history and customs just to be able to follow along. That kind of detail is, of course, admirable and shows that the author has done her homework, but when it gets to the point where it interferes with my ability to lose myself in the story, that’s where I stop reading, so I’m glad that this book did not have that problem.If you love historical fiction, particularly set in the Southern United States, and you want a story filled with heart and emotion, please pick up this book. I am amazed by how good it was.