Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she takes her familys story even further. Lalita tademy, author info, published books, bio, photo. Lalita tademys second historical novel, red river is set during reconstruction era louisiana a time period and subject matter often summarily skimmed in our. For israel smith and sam tademy, the choice is difficulteach has a wife and children in the bottom to think about, and every day they spend in the courthouse is a harder one for their families.
Cane river was a new york times bestseller and was selected for oprahs book club. A former vicepresident at sun microsystems, lalita tademy left the corporate world to immerse herself in tracing her familys past and in writing. Before listening to red river, this day and place held no significance to me, but they are now seared into my consciousness as an example of a. Red river by lalita tademy and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Lalita tademy s second historical novel, red river is set during reconstructionera louisiana a time period and subject matter often summarily skimmed in our history books. Listening to red river is reminiscent of hearing black poetry rhythmically recited by acclaimed actors.
Red river is a 2008 novel of historical fiction by lalita tademy, largely based on the history of her fathers family. Lalita tademy s journey to red river began long before she left the corporate world and her prestigious job as vice president of sun microsystems. Although her familys roots were in the south, tademy was born in 1948 in berkeley, california to willie dee billes tademy and nathan g. Tademy saw a chance to start a school for his children and neighbors. Tademy plumbs family history for glimpses of a violent past lalita tademys journey to red river began long before she left the corporate world and her.
Lalita tademy left her job as vicepresident of sun microsystems in 1995 to devote her energy to untangling the roots of her family tree and telling the remarkable story of her ancestors. Furthermore, in red river, would you say that the author deliberately sets out to explore more deeply the struggles of the male characters than those of the female characters. Nonetheless, her parents made sure their household maintained a definite noncalifornia edge, including a steady supply of grits, gumbo, cornbread, and collard greens, and a stream of other transplanted southerners eager to share their backhome stories. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read cane river. Discover book depositorys huge selection of lalita tademy books online.
From silicon valley, california to louisiana, lalita tademy shares the journey of tracing her genealogythe inspiration behind writing cane river. Elisabeth reached over and with her broad thumb pushed the wetness away, leaving a thin trace of. Jan 03, 2008 hailed as powerful, accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademy s first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on cane river by lalita tademy. Lalita tademy was born in berkeley, california, far from her parents southern roots. Hailed as remarkable philadelphia inquirer, astonishing essence, and spellbinding detroit free press, lalita tademys first novel, cane river, was a new york times best seller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection. Hailed as powerful, accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademys first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book. Dec 04, 2006 red river is a novel based on the lives of author lalita tademy s ancestors.
Her works include citizen creek, cane river, and red river. Walking away from the american dream i was born in berkeley, california, in a place called castro valley. Red river continues the story of the tademys, who were introduced in cane river, and provides more detailed information about the familys struggle to survive after slavery, through reconstruction and beyond. For the newlyfreed black residents of colfax, louisiana, the beginning of reconstruction promised them the right to vote, own propertyand at last control their own lives. Red river gives a rich impression of a family history expansively and proudly told. Red river by lalita tademy 2008, paperback, revised for. But it was something far more devastatingweaving together history and the story of her own family, lalita tademy, author of the acclaimed new york times bestseller cane river, has written an epic work of fiction. A former vice president at sun microsystems, lalita tademy left the corporate world to immerse herself in tracing her familys past and in writing.
With a deft hand, lalita tademy intertwines historical events with her own ancestral story to create a novel about two families struggling to build a better world for. Nonetheless, her parents made sure their household louisiana west maintained a definite noncalifornia edge, including a steady supply of grits, gumbo, cornbread, and collard greens, and a stream of other transplanted southerners eager to share their. Tademy plumbs family history for glimpses of a violent past lalita tademy s journey to red river began long before she left the corporate world and her prestigious job as vice president of sun microsystems. Again in the prologue, polly tademy extols the achievements of africanamerican males of her era. Her mother elizabeth works in the kitchen of the plantation rosedew, and when suzette is old enough, she learns the ways of the kitchen from her mother. Jan 01, 2007 hailed as powerful, accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademy s first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection. Oct 15, 2009 although her familys roots were in the south, tademy was born in 1948 in berkeley, california to willie dee billes tademy and nathan g. What happened that day in the small southern town of colfax, louisiana, was called the colfax riot. Interview with lalita tademy may, 2008 lalita tademy is a former vicepresident of sun microsystems who left the corporate world to immerse herself in tracing her familys history and writing her first book, cane river. Bestselling author of cane river 2001 brings another 19thcentury family story, this one. Now, once again, tademy weaves together history and the story of her own family to bring us an epic work of. As in cane river, lalita tademy does a wonderful job of weaving fact with fiction in red river. Red river chronicles her paternal ancestors and their role in the colfax riot of 1873. Nonetheless, her parents made sure their household louisiana west maintained a definite noncalifornia edge, including a steady supply of grits, gumbo.
Jan 03, 2007 when cane river was published in 2001, lalita tademy established herself as the chronicler of her own familys life, since their arrival here as slaves in the 1800s. Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she ta. Tademy and her three siblings lived in a predominantly white neighborhood. Lalita tademy has imbued life and blood into her family history, capturing you with her first sentence and only releasing you with her final word. The story of red river begins in 1873, and follows the ramifications of an incident on easter sunday of that year on successive generations of two families involved. The story stretches all the way back to 1834, beginning with tademys greatgreatgreatgreat grandmother, a woman who was born into slavery, living on a plantation off the cane river in louisiana. Red river is a novel based on the lives of author lalita tademys ancestors. Interview with lalita tademy, in cane river, tademy recreates the lives of the incredible women who came before her while addressing many socially significant subjects such as slavery, the role of women in history, and racism.
Hailed as powerful, accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademys first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection. Lalita tademy weaves together history and the story of her own family to bring us an epic work of fiction, the dramatic, intertwining story of two families struggling. Tademy left her career as the vicepresident of computer company sun microsystems to begin. Reading guide for red river by lalita tademy bookbrowse.
Mixing family history, fiction, and fact made the story rich and unforgettable enough that cane river became an oprahs book club. Lalita tademys second historical novel, red river is set during reconstructionera louisiana a time period and subject matter often summarily skimmed in our. What our colored men try to do for the rest of us in colfax matter. S ome years ago, lalita tademy left her job as vicepresident of a fortune 500 company to research her colorful family history. Yet in her authors note, lalita tademy tells us that extracting the history of her fathers ancestors was sometimes painful. In lalita tademys novel, red river, she tells the story of the struggle the tademy and the smith family had to go through for many generations. Nonetheless, her parents made sure their household louisiana west maintained a definite noncalifornia edge, including a steady supply of grits, gumbo, cornbread, and collard greens, and a stream of other transplanted southerners eager to share. Hailed as powerful, accomplished, and spellbinding, lalita tademy s first novel cane river was a new york times bestseller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection.
W hen the novel opens, three out of her four paternal greatgreat. When cane river was published in 2001, lalita tademy established herself as the chronicler of her own familys life, since their arrival here as slaves in the 1800s. Author interview lalita tademy, author of red river. Weaving together history and the story of her own family, lalita tademy, author of the acclaimed new york times bestseller cane river, has written an epic work of fiction. Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she takes her familys story even further, back to a littlechronicled, deliberately. Red river by lalita tademy book club discussion questions. Lalita tademys decision to recreate these lost voices by using the format of a historical novel is her artistic response to this gap in our national history.
Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she takes her familys story even further, back to a littlechronicled, deliberatelyforgotten time. The women of cane river cane river begins with elisabeth tademys greatgreatgreatgreatgrandmother and focuses on three women marked by her strength, her pride, and her instinct for survival. Previously, lalita tademy wrote cane river, which was selected for oprahs book club and is another historical fiction book, this one based on her maternal relatives. Cane river was selected by oprah winfrey as her summer book pick in 2001. Red river examines reconstructionera massacre novelist lalita tademy explores her family tree in her latest book, red river. Novelist lalita tademy explores her family tree in her latest book, red river. It began before she wrote her much acclaimed debut novel cane river, which became a bestseller and an oprah book club selection in 2001.
Cane river 2001 is a fictionalized version of the lives of author lalita tademys female ancestors over the course of four generations. Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she takes her familys story even further, back to a littlechronicled. Hailed as remarkable philadelphia inquirer, astonishing essence, and spellbinding detroit free press, lalita tademy s first novel, cane river, was a new york times best seller and the 2001 oprah book club summer selection. Lalita tademy went on to write two other works of historical fiction called red river and citizens creek, but before cane river, she was not a professional writer.
Tademy plumbs family history for glimpses of a violent past lalita tademys journey to red river began long before she left the corporate world and her prestigious job as vice president of sun microsystems. His friend israel smith was determined to start a community business and gain economic freedom. Red river by lalita tademy overdrive rakuten overdrive. Lalita tademy weaves together history and the story of her own family to bring us an epic work of fiction, the dramatic, intertwining story of two families struggling to make a place for themselves in an america deeply divided after the civil war. Download pdf red river 100% free book by lalita tademy. Author interview lalita tademy, author of red river bookpage. Her first novel, cane river, was based on her mothers family and was chosen as an oprah book club selection. Beginning with the 1873 massacre at the courthouse in colfax, louisiana, tademy weaves a tale of true american heroes. But as whites begin to learn about the occupation, the bottom also becomes increasingly unsafe. Lalita tademys journey to red river began long before she left the corporate world and her prestigious job as vice president of sun microsystems. Lalita tademys second historical novel, red river is set during reconstructionera louisiana a time period and subject matter often summarily skimmed in our history books. Its the story of the role her ancestors played in a massacre that occurred in louisiana during the days of. Red river is a novel based on the lives of author lalita tademy s ancestors.
Red river 9780446578981 by tademy, lalita and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. A story of three generations of strong women, slaves and the complexity of their lives, and the importance of family. Gammy singer appears as polly tedamy at 100 years old, urging her listeners to see the colfax event for what it wasa massacre, not a riot. Suzette elisabeths youngest daughter, and the first to.