Can we truly learn more about ourselves through the past?

Daughters of the Dust is set on the Sea Island.  The story follows the lives of the Peazants.  In one sense, it is historical fiction in that the plot refers to the slave trade in explaining how the residents arrived on the island.  The author also interspersed some of the history of the Africans and Native Americans in explaining the characters.  Finally, she also uses the oral tradition of Africans to further allow the reader to see into the heritage of the characters.

Amelia grew up with her father, mother and maternal grandmother.    The dynamics of the household are disturbing to Amelia.  Her grandmother, Hagar, is bitter and runs the household with an iron fist.  Her father spends much of his time at the family business.  Both her grandmother and father tend to verbally abuse or ignore her mother who just seems to suffer through it all.  Amelia is the only bright spot in her mother’s days.  Amelia vaguely remembers trips to the “island” and her mother’s family.  She has a lot of curiosity about this facet of her family.  Neither her father or grandmother has anything nice to say about the island but her mother seems to long for the island.  Amelia decides to go to the island to “study” her family with her mother’s blessing and against her father & grandmother’s wishes.  

On the island, Elizabeth befriends Amelia.  Elizabeth is the one who has ventured away from the island and furthered her education.  She routinely works for two older white women on the “mainland” as well as teaching on the island.  Elizabeth is Amelia’s guide to not only life on the island but their family’s history.  Elizabeth, like Amelia, must chose between staying with family or following her dreams.

The supporting characters in Daughters of the Dust are colorful and endearing to say the least.  There are children, teenagers, elders, newlyweds, hopes & dreams realized and lost in the lives of the supporting characters:  they each have a tale to tell.  Ms. Dash does a great job of telling a “story” with strong African-American women of character.  I would recommend this book to anyone that is curious about the history of Africans in America and enjoy reading about the challenges of family life.
 

Leanna Bailey