All of us have at least heard of Uncle Tom ’ s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and probably most of us have actually read it . Well , the novel , Burning Uncle Tom ’ s Cabin by Carl Waters is a re-imagined take off from Stowe ’ s classic . In Mr . Waters ’ book , the lead character is George Harris , a talented and inventive slave who is determined to secure freedom for himself and his wife and young son . This novel is essentially a slave escape adventure full of heart-stopping excitement and page-turning suspense .
George Harris is my kind of man ! Under the harsh circumstances of slavery , he is a caring , dedicated family man who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family . Of course , given the times in which existed , his determination was tested and challenged by the written and unwritten rules of slavery . At every turn , when George intended to do what was right for his family , his cruel master and the inhumane system of racial subjugation blocked his path .
One thing that stood out about this book is just how insidious and debilitating slavery was to its Black victims . In this modern age , some may argue that while slavery hurt Blacks , Whites were also harmed by this institution , although to a lesser extent . I do not share that opinion ! Or perhaps it would be better to say that I don ’ t care about how Whites suffered under slavery . Reading about the plight and struggles of an honorable man like George Harris in this novel led me to focus my attention solely on the pain of enslaved Blacks .
For me , this perspective is important as you read Burning Uncle Tom ’ s Cabin because it helps you better relate to the precariousness of George ’ s life . He wanted to do what any honest loving man wanted to do for his family . Yet , he had to pick his battles carefully . If he blindly claimed his humanity and manhood , he risked being severely punished and even killed . He had to decide if dying for noble principles was worth leaving his family unprotected . Being concerned about how Whites were also adversely impacted by slavery would distract readers from the life and death choices that confronted George with each breath he took .
Would I recommend this book ? Most certainly yes ! The plight of enslaved Blacks will never be fully understood by people living hundreds of years after slavery was ended . However , books like Burning Uncle Tom ’ s Cabin gives us a valuable glimpse into this time period . As dire are the circumstances that George faced , this book also revealed the power of perseverance and love . If George Harris can somehow maintain his humanity in the face of unrelenting cruelty as a slave , what does that say about the types of relationships we can create and maintain as so-called free people , both Black and White ?
The book is available on Amazon and you can get it at the following link : https :// www . amazon . com / Burning-Uncle-Toms-Cabin-Waters-ebook / dp / B00KZW2YA2
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