#Wild Beautiful and Free

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2023 📖 no. 034

Wild, Beautiful, and Free by Sophfronia Scott

“I was a beloved child. I think I knew that before I knew anything else. So now I can’t settle for anything less that such love. That’s just the truth of who I am.”

[eyreguide]

Book Review: Wild, Beautiful, and Free

Wild, Beautiful, and Free by Sophfronia Scott

Plot Summary: Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister—until her father suddenly dies. His vindictive wife refuses twelve-year-old Jeannette her inheritance and sells her into slavery. Now on her own, Jeannette must fight the injustices she faces because of her mixed race. She escapes enslavement and travels from Mississippi to Philadelphia to New York to Ohio, all while searching for purpose, love, and her place in a country torn asunder by the burgeoning Civil War. Everything seems to fall into place when she meets Christian Robichaud Colchester, the white proprietor of Fortitude Mansion, a safe haven for escaped slaves where Jeannette teaches. But despite their instant connection, Jeannette isn’t convinced she belongs in his circle. In a world that tells her she doesn’t fit anywhere, Jeannette must decide what’s more important: bending to the expectations of others or embracing her true self.

Review:

This was a surprising retelling of Jane Eyre because it brought the story into an unexpected backdrop - race and slavery during the American Civil War. The story translates the struggles of young Jane in the original novel at the hands of Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, to the horrific experiences of enslavement, which made Jeannette's story even more impactful.

Jeannette is just as strong willed as Jane, and has the added comfort of having known a loving parent in her father who doted on her and treated her as a general favorite, although it upset his wife. Of course the hatred that Madame Bébinn felt for Jeannette is understandable in one sense - that Jeannette is the product of her husband's infidelity, but in the other sense - that Jeannette is half black - well that takes away all the sympathy we could have felt for her in that situation.

Most of the first half of this book is devoted to Jeannette's experiences as a young girl and I think this aspect is what makes this such an intriguing book. It shows a side of history and humanity that it is important to recognize, as it shaped our country and still has repercussions today. It's very impactful to read about Jeannette's struggle to escape slavery, as well as how it forms her as a woman. And in how it eventually forms the main conflict between her and the "Mr. Rochester" Christian Colchester.

While I enjoyed the romance between Jeannette and Christian - somehow the intensity and the emotional connection just wasn't there. It was hard to follow up with the romance, after such a harrowing and moving depiction of surviving slavery and especially for Jeannette to go through that at a young age. But I did appreciate the nuance in parallel between the original novel and the romance of this one. There is still a sense of mystery, although Colchester's secret is a little different to Rochester. I appreciated the turn this story took, and that the conflict felt right for the characters.

Once Jeannette strikes out again on her own, the author again brings interesting historical realism in how the protagonist becomes a nurse during the Civil War. It felt right for Jeannette, and also added so much to her character for her to show such compassion to others in the face of so much trauma and grief. I felt that this part of the story was also more captivating than the middle section with the romance. And Jeannette gets to reunite with someone that created the perfect, stirring moment that paled a little in comparison to her reunion with Colchester. Which was very sweet in itself, but just not the point of the story.

Jeanette builds some incredible connections with different characters throughout the book, and with the historical realism in the setting - I feel those to be the strong points of the story. The romance and the comparison to Jane Eyre is nice, but if you are at all interested in the setting, this is a wonderful and insightful read.

Goodreads 4/5 stars

I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Wild Beautiful and Free: A Novel

By Sophfronia Scott.

[achiepy]

[animalloversxo]

🐬˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 🐋✧˚.🐟⋆

[myownprivateclusterfuck]

BuckTommy meets The Addams Family, because they really are up there with Morticia and Gomez when it comes to admiring each other boundlessly while lusting for each other at all times. 🖤🖤🖤

(Also, every cry of homophobic outrage at this scene adds something new to their sex dungeon. 😌)

[blackswaneuroparedux]

It is the horse’s gift to connect us with Heaven and our own footsteps.

- Ronni Sweet

[oceansxchild]

Young, wild, and free.

[wandoffire]

[iam-not-your-baby]

Bosque de chapultepec, CDMX ❤️

[playing-with-red-hot-fire]

[animalloversxo]

🦁 💚🧡🦁

[downfalldestiny]

Freedom 🌊🐎 !.

[photo-art-lady]

Beautiful Wild Mustangs Running Free

[lazydazekid]

I'm in love with a beautiful Trans lady and I'm proud of her

[meeelis]

It only lasts until noon