Pierce Butler is forced to sell the hundreds of slaves from Butler Plantation when he is forced to pay his gambling debts. Slaves are seperated from their families as they are sold in the largest slave auction in history. Emma takes cares of his children, Sarah and Frances because their mother was forced to leave after the couple divorced. Emma was promised that she would not be sold, but she ultimately was. She later escapes to freedom and has children and grandchildren as a free woman. The novel is told from different points of view, from both whites and slaves.
Impact on Me:
I honestly felt sorry for both sides of the story (Pierce Butler vs. the slaves), of course the majority of my sympathies went to the slaves whose families were torn apart and who were someone else's property. This book provided me with a well-informed view of the economy of the south, the lifestyle, the viewpoints (some extremely warped!), the controversies in slavery, and the emotions of both skewed slave owners and slaves. Though there were many characters, all of the characters were well-developed and extremely dynamic (there literally was not one flat character who was all good or all evil).
Book Reviews:
"When readers get a glimpse into the characters’ future lives, they are glad to see things did not work out as planned. This is a fast moving book with personal dramas unfolding on each page that will hold reader interest until the end."
Lester, J., & Scordato, J. (2005). Day of Tears. Library Media Connection, 24(1), 80.
Julius Lester’s moving historical novel (Jump at the Sun, 2005) is performed in this full-cast recording. Based on an actual event and actual characters, the story begins during “The Weeping Time,” the largest-ever slave auction, held in George in 1859. Lester’s lyrical dialogue performed by different voices creates a powerful statement on the blinding injustice and cruelty of slavery.
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue. (2006). School Library Journal, 52, 46.
In the Library:
This is certainly a great book to pair with social studies or even English teachers that are teaching history and lessons on slavery and even the southern economies reliance on slaves. In the library, students who have read the book can make a map of the underground railroad that Emma and her husband, Joe, along with another couple took across the river to freedom in Ohio. The map can be hung on the library wall near the hardcover book to draw interest. Students can also take one of their favorite novels and create narrations for all of that particular novel's characters just like the writing et-up of Day of Tears. This would be a fun activity, but also an activity that appeals to a high-level of bloom's since students are creating and using high-level thinking/writing skills.
Nicholls, D. (2010). Day of Tears. New York : Vintage Books.
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