Initially, Elisabeth is the matriarch of the four generations of women mentioned in the story. Elisabeth works in the house, but she is married to a field slave and has three daughters. Little information is given about Elisabeth and her feelings, but throughout the story, it is as if she lived vicariously through her youngest daughter, Suzette: "It was as if it was her mother who had just come from make her first communion, not Suzette” (20) Even though Elisabeth also worked in the house, Suzette had more privileges than her mother and the other slaves. Elisabeth represented the strength and pride of her people: “You both have a mother and a father, and they are no match for the [plantation] house” (25). She would constantly remind Suzette of her real family, which means the memory of a history of people and their roots. It is up to Suzette to preserve the heritage even through the interbreeding of future generations. Then, Tademy further illustrates the importance of family through the character of Suzette. She was born a slave; however, Suzette lives in the plantation house as a nanny instead of living in the slave quarters. The fact that Suzette is a domestic slave is where her profound loss lies: “Get out of your head and see how things really are” (25). Suzette's perception of reality is distorted by the fact that she spends a lot of time in the plantation house rather than in the slave quarters where her family lives. From the beginning, Suzette is determined to speak French and gain communion in church, which places her even further above the other slaves. Even though she doesn't see freedom until after the war, the aforementioned elevation is what leads Suzette to be the first to discover the promise and middle of paper......lives. This gives readers the opportunity to focus on these women and their families. It allowed readers to experience the trials and tribulations these women endured. A non-fiction novel would not have had this impact and this ability to attract readers as much. Overall, Tademy does a great job transporting his readers back to the 1800s in rural Louisiana. This book is a profound alternative to a simple slave narrative. Instead of history, he offers a “story.” This story offers insight into the issues of slavery through a women's perspective, something few books offer. Not only does it give readers a single narrative or perspective of slavery, but it also gives readers a view of slavery from generation to generation. From the earliest days of slavery to the Civil War, a tale of family strength, pride, and culture is captured in these lines..