Adjoa Andoh narrates this sweeping account of Haiti's pre-revolutionary era. The formidable audiobook is based on the true story of Marie-Claire Bonheur, the first empress of Haiti, and the rebellion that liberated its enslaved people, making Haiti the first post-colonial Black-led nation in the world. Andoh's narration ranges from vulnerable to invincible, and her female characters are intensely powerful. Andoh's stately tone reveals complex nuances as she navigates heartrending scenes with skill and confidence. Moving between action and stillness, hope and despair, Andoh expertly tackles all the drama, including horrendous atrocities. The epic scale and large number of characters require a focused listener, but the investment of one’s time and attention is rewarded with a deeply satisfying story and performance. M.M.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Sister Mother Warrior: A Novel
Narrated by Adjoa Andoh, Robin Miles
Vanessa RileyUnabridged — 18 hours, 50 minutes
Sister Mother Warrior: A Novel
Narrated by Adjoa Andoh, Robin Miles
Vanessa RileyUnabridged — 18 hours, 50 minutes
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Overview
Acclaimed author of Island Queen Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti.
Gran Toya: Born in West Africa, Abdaraya Toya was one of the legendary minos-women called “Dahomeyan Amazons” by the Europeans-who were specially chosen female warriors consecrated to the King of Dahomey. Betrayed by an enemy, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, Toya wound up in the French colony of Saint Domingue, where she became a force to be reckoned with on its sugar plantations: a healer and an authority figure among the enslaved. Among the motherless children she helped raise was a man who would become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. When the enslaved people rose up, Toya, ever the warrior, was at the forefront of the rebellion that changed the course of history.
Marie-Claire: A free woman of color, Marie-Claire Bonheur was raised in an air of privilege and security because of her wealthy white grandfather. With a passion for charitable work, she grew up looking for ways to help those oppressed by a society steeped in racial and economic injustices. Falling in love with Jean-Jacques Dessalines, an enslaved man, was never the plan, yet their paths continued to cross and intertwine, and despite a marriage of convenience to a Frenchman, she and Dessalines had several children.
When war breaks out on Saint Domingue, pitting the French, Spanish, and enslaved people against one another in turn, Marie-Claire and Toya finally meet, and despite their deep differences, they both play pivotal roles in the revolution that will eventually lead to full independence for Haiti and its people.
Both an emotionally palpable love story and a detail-rich historical novel, Sister Mother Warrior tells the often-overlooked history of the most successful Black uprising in history. Riley celebrates the tremendous courage and resilience of the revolutionaries, and the formidable strength and intelligence of Toya, Marie-Claire, and the countless other women who fought for freedom.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Editorial Reviews
An impeccably researched, powerfully reimagined tale of sacrifice and success, love and selfishness, and war and independence...Riley’s storytelling skills shine.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Sweeping, powerful...Riley has written a well-researched gripping novel about an enslaved people gaining freedom, with the emotional connections among the main players as its beating heart." — Library Journal (starred review)
“A riveting read! Richly imagined, meticulously researched, and fast-paced…Vanessa Riley encourages us to rethink history through fresh eyes.” — Myriam J. A. Chancy, author of What Storm, What Thunder
"Thrilling and utterly engrossing...Riley’s prose is breathlessly beautiful, the lines clean and vibrant, her images raw and real. A gripping animation of the first successful Black-led democracy in the West as well as a moving exploration of loyalty, passion, and grief, this book sears itself on the consciousness. Highly recommended." — Historical Novel Society
"A gripping tale celebrating the strength and resilience of exceptional Black women...emotionally rich, deeply detailed, and unforgettable." — Booklist
“This book is not only a one-sitting read, it’s a slice of history that needs to be told. Utterly brilliant, powerful, and inspiring.” — Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Always the Last to Know
“Riveting and transformative…evocative and immersive...by turns vibrant and bold and wise…discovering Dorothy’s story is a singular pleasure.” — New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) on Island Queen
"Dazzling...compelling...Riley combines in-depth research with passionate and frank storytelling, The experiences and achievements of powerful women, especially those whose lives began among the enslaved, are too often overlooked, and Riley’s richly engaging novel is a ringing reminder of how much we miss when these stories remain untold." — Booklist on Island Queen
“Richly detailed, vividly depicted, and sweeping in scope, Island Queen is historical fiction at its absolute finest. A stunning must-read!” — Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba
“Island Queen is the magnificently reconstructed life story of Dorothy ‘Doll’ Kirwan Thomas, whose fascinating legacy of grit and success desperately deserves to be better known. With lush prose and raw emotion, Riley vividly captures the complexity of bringing to life a time of rebellion and possibility.” — New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Dray
"Island Queen is what you would get if you were to drop Olivia Pope and all the men who lusted after her into the 18th Century Caribbean. . . With prose that reads like poetry, Vanessa Riley expertly steers the reader through Dolly’s heartbreaking lows all the way into her triumphant emergence as the richest free woman of color in the islands. Passionate, headstrong, and loyal, Riley’s version of the real-life Dorothy Kirwan Thomas legend will make readers fall in love with this overlooked “hidden” queen. — Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms
“Riley…delivers a spirited narrative of an enslaved woman turned Caribbean power broker, based on a historical figure…Riley has made a fascinating character out of Dorothy.” — Publishers Weekly on Island Queen
Richly detailed, vividly depicted, and sweeping in scope, Island Queen is historical fiction at its absolute finest. A stunning must-read!
This book is not only a one-sitting read, it’s a slice of history that needs to be told. Utterly brilliant, powerful, and inspiring.
Riveting and transformative…evocative and immersive...by turns vibrant and bold and wise…discovering Dorothy’s story is a singular pleasure.
"Island Queen is what you would get if you were to drop Olivia Pope and all the men who lusted after her into the 18th Century Caribbean. . . With prose that reads like poetry, Vanessa Riley expertly steers the reader through Dolly’s heartbreaking lows all the way into her triumphant emergence as the richest free woman of color in the islands. Passionate, headstrong, and loyal, Riley’s version of the real-life Dorothy Kirwan Thomas legend will make readers fall in love with this overlooked “hidden” queen.
"Dazzling...compelling...Riley combines in-depth research with passionate and frank storytelling, The experiences and achievements of powerful women, especially those whose lives began among the enslaved, are too often overlooked, and Riley’s richly engaging novel is a ringing reminder of how much we miss when these stories remain untold."
Island Queen is the magnificently reconstructed life story of Dorothy ‘Doll’ Kirwan Thomas, whose fascinating legacy of grit and success desperately deserves to be better known. With lush prose and raw emotion, Riley vividly captures the complexity of bringing to life a time of rebellion and possibility.
"A gripping tale celebrating the strength and resilience of exceptional Black women...emotionally rich, deeply detailed, and unforgettable."
★ 06/01/2022
Riley follows up Island Queen with another sweeping, powerful historical novel based on two remarkable real women. Adbaraya Toya grows up in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey and becomes one of their feared women warriors. In 1758, a betrayal leads to her being sold into slavery and sent to the French colony of Saint-Domingue on Hispaniola (part of present-day Haiti). There she uses her healing and medicinal knowledge to survive and takes a maternal interest in young enslaved orphan Janjak, training him as a warrior in hopes of a better future. As Janjak grows up on Hispaniola, so too does Marie-Claire Bonheur, further south on the island. Marie-Claire, a free Black woman, has complicated relationships with her mother, aunt, and grandmother—all of whom have different experiences as women of color in late 18th-century Saint-Domingue. When Marie-Claire meets Janjak (who will later take the surname Dessalines and become the first ruler of an independent Haiti), their instant and strong bond forms the basis for a lifelong relationship that will be tested by time, distance, and the Haitian Revolution led by Janjak. VERDICT Riley has written a well-researched gripping novel about an enslaved people gaining freedom, with the emotional connections among the main players as its beating heart.—Jane Jorgenson
Adjoa Andoh narrates this sweeping account of Haiti's pre-revolutionary era. The formidable audiobook is based on the true story of Marie-Claire Bonheur, the first empress of Haiti, and the rebellion that liberated its enslaved people, making Haiti the first post-colonial Black-led nation in the world. Andoh's narration ranges from vulnerable to invincible, and her female characters are intensely powerful. Andoh's stately tone reveals complex nuances as she navigates heartrending scenes with skill and confidence. Moving between action and stillness, hope and despair, Andoh expertly tackles all the drama, including horrendous atrocities. The epic scale and large number of characters require a focused listener, but the investment of one’s time and attention is rewarded with a deeply satisfying story and performance. M.M.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940176351798 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 07/12/2022 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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