3 out of 4 stars
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If you are anything like me, then you love history. Do you ever think about your ancestors? Especially how they lived? Or what they had to do to ensure their survival? What about your lineage? There are always many surprises in this one, irrespective of your current looks. Black becomes free, White goes to war, and Olive skin becomes Melungeon, in The Drifters: A Christian Historical Novel About The Melungeon Shantyboat People, by Tonya Holmes Shook.
Harriet Holmes has just been married to Canady – a shanty-boat man. They both hail from mixed racial origins (Melungeons). Harriet has to quickly adjust to her new life aboard the cramped houseboat. The shanty-boat people are despised, evident with how Canady is viewed by his in-laws and with further interactions thought the book. The new environment may be too much to bear for the young pregnant bride. She misses her expansive home and familiar surroundings.
Harriet reluctantly begins the life of drifters. Sailing, trapping, and trading along the rivers in the Southeastern United States. This life is initially liberating for Harriet, with fewer commitments and duties on-board. However, with mounting family responsibilities and a rapidly changing world, old means don’t cut it for the young couple. Faced with the option to continue a meager existence as a boatman over a farmer, Canady chooses the latter and settles in Arkansas – just in time for the American Civil War.
The rest of the story takes you through the settler life during that tumultuous period – a case of more tears than laughter. This will be an emotional roller-coaster unlike any other. Will the Canady family be able to keep it together in the midst of war? Or will the sudden and brutal loss associated with warfare prove too much to bear?
This book had a befitting title, The Drifters. Harriet’s family was on the move most of the time, even after giving up river life. Prior to reading this book, I'd never heard the word Melungeon. They are a tri-racial people initially found in Southeastern USA. Despite their darker complexion, they were considered free people of color during the racial segregation days.
This book is one of those tales you will NOT forget for a long time. I sympathized with their challenges, shared in their brief joys, and broke down in their times of tragedy – and they were many! There were times I dumped the book vowing not to continue after someone died (brutally of course). Only to return with renewed hope, much like Harriet – before another tragedy to befalls them. Tonya Holmes Shook, elicited emotions in me I never thought I had. I thought about my grandfather who fought WWII with the British in Burma (Myanmar). The horrors he saw (but never spoke of), that eventually led to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Anyone who has gone through war can identify with the strife. Physical violence, rape, and murder (including of minors) are themes explored in this book. Sensitive readers beware!
The initial pace of the book was slow, but it picked up later during the Civil War – a welcomed relief. The main characters were well developed. I was impressed with the meld of a fictional story and non-fiction characters. I almost forgot the story isn’t real and wanted to email my condolences to the author. The character whose quest captivated me the most was Canady. As a family man, I can identify with some of his challenges. Canady’s losses and his drive to succeed in his role despite insurmountable odds were commendable.
I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I am still in awe with how I became so attached to the characters. However, the book had many grammar errors.The worst were in word separation, such as itwould pg41, Canadydidn’t pg47 and Sheremembered pg59. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction genre.
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The Drifters
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I can't stand war stories, especially violence on women and kids. 
