Day of Tears, Julius Lester
Day of Tears, Julius Lester (1939-2018) is a historical fiction novel for teens and tweens, based on actual events. On March 2nd and 3rd of 1859, the largest and most devastating slave auction in American history was held in Savannah, Georgia. Ironically, as soon as the auction began, the skies darkened and heavy thunderstorms ensued. Torrential downpours lingered for two days, ceasing only when the auction ended. Many referred to this as the day God cried, or “the weeping time”. Over 400 slaves were sold. Some families were separated forever, many of whom were denied the chance to even say goodbye. Sobbing children were ripped away from their mothers, couples were separated, human beings were shipped away like cattle, their fates unknown.
Pierce Butler owned a large, inherited plantation and hundreds of slaves in Savannah, Georgia. He had been married to actress and abolitionist Fanny Kemble, but Butler’s need for control and their opposing views on slavery caused the marriage to end in divorce. Pierce used his influence to take custody of their two daughters, Sarah and Francis, but family tensions continued. Francis, eager to please her father, supported slavery. Sarah, like her mother, opposed it. Pierce couldn’t accept Sarah’s views and the two were constantly at odds. Three of Butler’s slaves, Mattie, Will, and Emma were a family that had been with the Butlers for three generations. In Fanny’s absence, Emma was a committed, loving caretaker to the girls, and she bonded deeply with them. Sarah was especially close to Emma, who was like a maternal figure to both girls.
Pierce, once wealthy, lost most of his money gambling. In order to satisfy his debts, he held a massive slave auction and made over $300,000. But his problems were far from over. The auction not only tore slave families apart, but his own as well. The horrible decisions he made during those two days impacted all of them forever, breaking relationships and forever changing the course of his family.
Day of Tears, Julius Lester, is written in the multiple voices of several characters, slaves and owners. This book seamlessly transitions through different points in time, as we hear from some characters as children and then as adults years later. Written in a play/script form, Day of Tears is a fast-paced, smooth, extremely poignant, heavy read. Lester always did a phenomenal job of placing the reader right in the middle of his chapters. I was right there at the auction, standing heartbroken in that sweltering hot, overcrowded stable, breathing in the stench of sweaty bodies, listening to deafening, pelting rain and claps of thunder. Flashes of lightening offered glimpses of trembling slaves, packed like sardines in the stalls, waiting to be sold like meat to the highest bidder, holding their children for the last time. Then there were the finely dressed bidders, fanning themselves, laughing, socializing, acting like over-zealous holiday shoppers celebrating their purchases without a fleeting thought for the human beings in front of them, who were viewed as nothing more than a business transaction. I left a piece of my heart inside this book.
Parents, this book is educational and based on true events in history, but also a heavy and, at some points, disturbing read. I think this book would make a gripping, engaging piece of a slavery study for middle school teachers. However, I recommend using caution given the graphic nature of certain scenes. Day of Tears is extremely well-written, and brings out the emotional side of history because it connects us to the families and real people affected, and we clearly feel their struggles. It serves as a painful reminder of one of the most shameful parts of American history, and how far people will go in the name of greed. I recommend this book for middle school aged readers and adults alike. It would make a great conversation starter about an appalling piece of American history. Rest in peace, Julius Lester, and thank you for giving a voice to the victims of slavery. Nobody deserves it more than them.
To see more of Julius Lester, check out my review of his book, Let’s Talk About Race.
To purchase, click the Amazon link here. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click this link and purchase the book, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you.
“Man puts manacles on his fellow man; God never.” Lyman Abbot
