Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes

To start off this book review, I'd like to share a couple of inspirational quotes about child servitude and adversity that I believe will open your eyes and see the world from a different pair of lens.

“I’m ten now. I’m not a slave anymore. I’m free.”

- Sugar, the protagonist of the novel Sugar

“The world can be a hard place sometimes...

- Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Sugar and Ninth Ward

"Children should have pencils in their hands, not tools.

- Iqbal Masih, former Pakistani child activist and slave.

"“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” ...

- Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education and a 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Themes

Equality

Bravery

Culture

Freedom

Slavery

Person vs. Person

Person vs. Self

Person vs. Society

Synopsis

Sugar is a ten year old girl who lives in rural Mississippi during the 1870’s. Even though slavery has come to a halt, she’s still not free to live her dream life. She craves the liberation to choose her own friends, play games, get an education, and enjoy being a child. But that’s not the case, because she is forced to work at the older white family’s plantation farm. Sugar has a forbidden friend, Billy, the white plantation workers only child. When Beau, one of the Chinese plantation workers and his friends come into the picture, Sugar takes her “so-called freedom” to the next level. This unique interaction provides an opportunity for both Sugar and the Chinese plantation workers to educate each other on their own ways of life: Sugar teaches Beau and the other Chinese workers on how life is on the plantation and Beau and the others teach her about the Chinese culture and language. In the end, Sugar breaks the cultural barrier and creates an inclusive community.

What was eye-opening about Sugar?

Despite the hardships Sugar has in the story, she never gives up trying to find her way out of servitude. In times of travail, Sugar reveals her true self: inquisitive, lively, kind and a little girl who values life. There are good moments and bad moments and Sugar does her best to concentrate on the goods as opposed to the bads. She doesn’t let others stop her from being herself and she’s courageous enough to go about her business without worry, despite the high standards the plantation workers have for her. Even though she doesn't attend a formal school to get a formal education, she learns by connecting with people outside of her culture, such as the Chinese plantation workers, and by listening to stories told by the older male plantation owner.

Why did I love reading this novel?

I found the book inspiring and touching. Although I’ve never experienced child servitude or lived in the 1870’s, there were a heap of things that hit home.

Sugar and I share similar qualities. We are both curious, free-spirited, kind and accepting of other people. Despite the age gap, we strongly dislike being told what and what not to do and instead make our own rules and stick to them. For example, Sugar is not permitted to befriend white children, so she willingly breaks that rule and befriends a young boy whose parents work on the plantation farm. She could've been frightened to break the rules and make herself miserable by always thinking that white people are not good people to spend time with, she listened to her own gut and told herself that white people are good people to associate with and I'm going to befriend one white person. I don't care what the plantation owners beliefs are. I'm my own person. In my case, I believe that people are people to me, no matter what society thinks of people these days. The average person doesn't think to mix in with people from other cultures, I'm the complete opposite. I love the thrill and excitement of meeting people from around the world and being a part of that culture for one day. I don't care what the average person thinks of me, I think it's a beautiful thing to do in this world. Just like Sugar, I love learning about not just other people's culture but the languages that people speak across the globe. Sugar was learning some Chinese and I found that fascinating. It reminded me of those times when I started learning Russian and how challenging and fulfilling it was to learn a foreign language. Sugar and I would make a phenomenal match and we would have so much fun together. Our personalities and interests will make our friendship easier to build!

Who do I recommend this book to?

I recommend this novel to anyone who has a strong passion and intense fascination with history and culture, as well as anyone who wants to read something heartwarming and inspirational. Although this novel is primarily targeted to children ages 8-12, I feel that people of all ages can get their hands on this exhilarating but emotional novel!

It's a short read, so I recommend reading the novel if you want a quick read, but want to get lots out of the story!

You can purchase this book on Amazon, at your local bookstore/thrift store, borrow it from the library, or download it to read on your electronic device. Once you read it, you'll be reluctant to close the book!

My rating: 5/5

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