Yellow Crocus
Laila Ibrahim, 2010
Flaming Chalice Press
240 pp.
ISBN-13: 0984502203
Summary
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 watchful eye of Mattie, the child 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. Yet Lisbeth has freedoms and opportunities that Mattie does not have, though the color of the girl’s skin cannot protect her from the societal expectations placed on women born to privilege. As Lisbeth grows up, she struggles to reconcile her love for her caregiver with her parent's expectations, a task made all the more difficult as she becomes increasingly aware of the ugly realities of the American slavery system.
When the inequality of her two worlds comes to a head during an act of shocking brutality, 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 and redemption set during one of the darkest chapters of American history. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Whittier, California, USA
• Education—B.A., M.A., Mills College
• Currently—lives in Berkeley, California
In her own words:
I live in Berkeley California in a small co-housing community. I was born in Whittier California and moved to the Bay Area to go to Mills College where I studied psychology and human development. I went on to get a Master's Degree in human development with a special interest in attachment theory. br />
I owned my own preschool for 13 years. I sold it in 2007 in order to travel around the world with my kids when they were 12 and 15. It sounds more glamorous than it was because out goal was to expose them to the real lives of real people which meant that we mostly rented apartments, shopped in local stores and quickly learn how to find clean drinking water every where we went. When we returned from the trip I became a professional birth doula.
Writing Yellow Crocus was a labor of love. I resisted the call to write the novel for many, many years. In 1998, I was with a group of people talking about Tiger Woods. Someone mentioned that he identifies as much as an Asian person as an African-American person. I thought to myself, "Of course he does, his mother is Asian. You form your core identity in relationship to your primary caregivers. It's a basic part of the attachment process."
Then the image of Lisbeth, a white baby, breastfeeding in the loving arms of Mattie, an enslaved wetnurse came to me in a flash. I thought about what it would be like for Lisbeth to dearly love Mattie and then be taught by society that she wasn't a full person. I wondered how it would feel for Mattie to be forced to abandon Samuel, her own child, in the slave Quarters. Then I imagined what the experience would be like for Miss Anne, the birth mother, to have her own child twist away from her to get into Mattie's arms.
These characters started to haunt me. Various scenes popped into my head. Though I had never written anything, I was being called to tell this story. Finally, for my fortieth birthday, I began the personal marathon of writing my first novel. I hope you will come to love these characters as much as I have. (Visit the author's website.)
Book Reviews
Ibrahim balances the story well, crafting immensely complex and multi-faceted characters and putting them in an atmosphere as tense as the air before a thunderstorm. Yellow Crocus is an engaging, thought-provoking story. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys Antebellum historical fiction or is looking for a compelling story to add to their book club reading list. In fact, practically anyone who enjoys period reading will find this book as wonderful as discovering freshly bloomed crocuses poking through the snow. —Katerie Prio, ForeWord Clarin
If you loved The Help, The Secret Life of Bees or The Color Purple, you'll adore Yellow Crocus! —JustaGeekGirl
Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down—CoCo
Laila Ibrahim brings her characters to life and makes you feel all their anguish, fear, hope and love. —Natski
This book among many other stories of early American life is a must read. —JustTiffany
One of the best books I have read in a long time! I will definitely read it again. —Cjutte
Wow wow wow. What a strong, powerful, gut-wrenching book! I loved every second of this story and the main characters. This author knows women. Thank you for writing such an amazing novel. —Angel
WOW! I was so moved by this story. I started with a dim view since I am a black women. But I did enjoy this. —R & C
Discussion Questions
1. Who is your favorite character and why?
2. Mother-child relationships are a central theme in Yellow Crocus. How do you think the setting affected that relationship for all people?
3. In your family history, did anyone have a close relationship with a nanny or caregiver?
4. What, if any, parallels do you see between the culture and the central conflicts of the narrative in Yellow Crocus and in our current society?
5. What were some of the key experiences that Lisbeth had that changed her understanding of the world in which she lived?
6. Lisbeth reaction to Edward’s raping the field hand was naive. Miss Anne’s reaction was nonchalant. Who’s reaction was more surprising to you?
7. Early in the book, Mattie seemed certain she would never try to escape, yet by the end she did. What do you think changed for her?
8. Most people born into Lisbeth’s situation would have gone on with the status quo. If she had not seen Edward rape the field hand, do you think she would have married him?
9. What was surprising to you? Was there anything you could not believe?
10. What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
11. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
12. Did the book affect the way you think about slavery? If so, how?
13. How did you feel about the ending? Did it seem realistic to you? Were there any other endings you could imagine?
(Questions provided courtesy of the author.)