ARC Review: “House of Rougeaux” by Jenny Jaeckel

“House of Rougeaux” by Jenny Jaeckel

Publishing Date: April 24, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Page Length: 299 (paperback review copy)

Synopsis:

For Abeje and her brother Adunbi, home is the slave quarters of a Caribbean sugar plantation on the Antilles Island of Martinique. Under the watchful eye of their African mother, the children thrive despite what threatens to break them. After a night of brutality changes their lives forever, it is their strength and extraordinary bond that carries them through.

At the dawn of emancipation, Adunbi’s daughter Hetty finds her way to Quebec City as maid to the slave owner’s daughters. There she discovers a talent for piano and meets a bold saddler’s apprentice named Dax Rougeaux. After buying her freedom, Dax and Hetty join a growing community of Afro-Canadians living free.

In moving prose, author Jenny Jaeckel creates a brilliantly imagined epic, weaving a multi-layered narrative that celebrates the Rougeaux family truimphs while exposing the injustices of their trials. As each new member of the family takes the spotlight, a fresh piece of the puzzle is illuminated until at last, after a span of nearly two centuries, the end brings us back to the beginning.

In her debut novel, award-winning author Jenny Jaeckel masterfully blends coming-of-age, folklore, and historical fiction with explorations of gender, race, and sexuality, creating a wondrous tale of hope and healing. A relevant work of love, determination, and the many small achievements that make up greatness, House of Rougeaux draws a new map of what it means to be family. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

House of Rougeaux is a multi-generational historical fiction novel about a family. The story begins (the family’s history) in Martinique following two siblings, Abeje and Adunbi, in the late 1700s. From there, we see them grow from the tragic death of their mother and how it impacts the rest of their lives. Abeje has a gift for hearing and listening to others which plays a part in future generations. We see the novel transition from their deaths and work their way down the family tree and then back to the beginning.

I’ll admit that the lineage was sometimes confusing and I feel like a family tree chart is needed for readers. Though it is slow-moving and character driven this is an enjoyable novel fill of family and folklore. It is an interesting novel it’s also laced with sadness and heartbreak as each family member dealing with their own personal struggles. It was also interesting to see the similarities between the American and Canadian sides of the family.

I like the rich folklore aspect and how stories were passed down throughout each generation. At times I felt like pacing dragged throughout the book which made it hard to pick the story back up in certain spots. But for the most part, the writing was very smooth.

I am always fascinated by historical fiction because I’m constantly being introduced to new historical figures and events. Some of the characters featured in the novel were actual real-life historical figures and it made me want to research that more. I also learned about black history in 1800s Canada.

I love the detailed pov’s and how all the woven narratives came together at the end. It’s a great story about family, race, and the folklore (my favorite part) all mixed into each characters coming of age story!

*Trigger warnings: Violence, Death

Final Verdict: