Sarny

I reviewed Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen earlier this year and was really impressed with it. I think that dealing with such a subject as slavery in a way that is approachable for younger readers and truthful is a gruelling challenge for an author, yet Paulsen does so admirably well. (See the publisher's author page for more info on Paulsen and his many historical works.)

I got a copy of Sarny for myself to find out what happens after the events of Nightjohn. In the course of the story Sarny matures, becomes a mother, a widow, and then a heroine as she unshackles herself and pursues her children, who have been sold away from her. Her pursuit of her children with her friend and fellow ex-slave Lucy in tow to assist was gut wrenching for a mother to read; and the friendship she had with Lucy was a good counterbalance to the pathos of finding missing children. In the course of events, Sarny learns more about privilege and the reliance she can have on a community than one would normally expect from such inauspicious beginnings. There is a Forrest Gump quality about the way Sarny ends up in the midst of historical events; though gratefully the author does not push it so far as to lose credibility, and also fortunately Sarny is far too smart to settle for Gumplike platitudes in describing her fate. She does offer a few gems of wisdom:

"The brain don't forget," Sarny says in reflection upon her life; her characterization is completely unforgettable.

Again, I read the book rapidly - in two sittings, as the story is so compelling. The setting of New Orleans was a brilliant one, as such a cosmopolitan city provides excellent contrast to Sarny at the start of her time there. I would have enjoyed learning more about Sarny's benefactor Miss Laura, and thought that featuring such a character in the story was both a risky and rewarding choice. My understanding is that Paulsen created these composite characters to represent an amalgamation of persons who would have existed at the time, and that there actually was no such person as Sarny. However, understanding and empathizing with Sarny is a valid way of understanding the historical period and the terrible legacy of slavery for an individual such as she.

Nightjohn and Sarny

My son received Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen as a gift, and after I read some information at the publisher's author page I thought I should read through the book myself first before handing it over to my kid. I'm glad I did, because the graphic representation of some of the events would be beyond his age level. I think for our family, this will be a book better read by teenagers. I'm curious to hear whether anyone would recommend this for a younger audience.

The story concerns the inquisitive slave-girl Sarny, and her life-changing encounter with Nightjohn. Nightjohn is brought to her plantation by her owner as a slave and joins the slave community there. He is different than any other person Sarny knows, and bears a secret worth knowing. Nightjohn offers to barter to get some tobacco from Sarny, and she is incredulous, thinking to herself:

What you got to trade? You come in naked as the day you was born... and you're ready to go trading?

Over time, Sarny starts to learn his secret. Unfortunately, she is only a child and very young to be trusted with such illicit knowledge; when she reveals the secret, as children will do, the consequences for the slave community on the platation are dire and her guilt is awful.

Even so, Sarny is forgiven; her community expresses uncommon wisdom by recognizing that expectations of discretion from a child were unrealistic, and they never blame her. Instead, she is challenged to put the energy of her guilt to work fulfilling a greater purpose.

I read the book in one sitting, as the story is so compelling. The conditions in which Sarny lived and the trials she and her community experienced are heart wrenching. The author does a wonderful job in capturing the dialects of the characters, and in representing int he fictional story the events based on the historical record. After I completed the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is a sequel which continues the protagonist's story, and I will be reading that once my order arrives.

related post: Sarny by Gary Paulsen