A Respectable Trade
by Philippa Gregory
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Book Summary Information
Author: Philippa GregoryEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01-09
ISBN: 0743272544
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Touchstone
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780743272544
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of A Respectable Trade
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
I am a huge fan of The Other Boleyn Girl, which really brought that particular period in British history and the people who populated it to life. This is the second Gregory book I have read and it was a real letdown.
At times, this book is a gripping read. I found it profoundly chilling the way the characters would casually discuss the slave trade as if they were talking about bales of cotton. This is when the book is at its very best. Every time Josiah, Sarah, and Frances would talk business, I could feel myself almost physically recoiling at the very disturbing way in which they talked about slavery. The beginning of the book was especially strong in this respect and Gregory did a masterful job of capturing the point of view of the average white slave trader of the time. Their dehumanizing view of the Africans they were forcing into bondage was so profound that they actually believed that they were not dealing with people. It made me nearly physically ill to think that there actually were people of this mindset, people who could torture and abuse and commit horrific acts against other people and think nothing of it. It is a chilling period in history. Unfortunately, the masterful handling of this issue is not enough to save the book. The one-dimensional stock characters and unbelieveable love story bog the story down and detract from the central theme of the inherent wrongness of the slave trade.
Mehuru was a particularly disappointing character for me. He is more stereotype than human. His purpose couldn't be more clear had Gregory written him as having the word "dignity" tattooed across his forehead. Yet, in spite of his high principles, he falls madly in love with the woman who owns him, even though there is no apparent reason for it. A man who loves his country as much as Mehuru does, who despises slavery as much as he does, who is as offended at the dehumanization as he was seems to me to hardly be the type of man to find a woman such as Frances very tempting. While it does make sense that he would see some similarities between his situation and hers, it doesn't make sense to me that people who come from such different backgrounds and who have such profoundly different experiences in life would find much common ground. Moreover, Frances does little to nothing to protect Mehuru.
As for Frances, she's simply boring. She is a stock character, plainly put. Her role is to be the genteel woman left without means who doesn't want to become a burden to her wealthier, titled relatives. There is much to pity in someone in such a position but Frances does little more than become pale and grave. Jane Eyre she is not. Even as she comes to realize how disgusting slavery is and even as she falls in love with Mehuru, she does precious little to voice her convictions. She is too weak and too mealy-mouthed to appeal as a character and her reasons for falling in love with Mehuru are borderline offensive. I found it hard to buy the idea that she passionately loved him when it seemed more that she liked the idea of being the one in control rather than being the one controlled.
The other thing I found disturbing was the naming of the slaves. Mehuru and Kbara are the only two given African names. Frances's giving them Christian names is cast in an offensive light and yet the female slaves are from that point on referred to by their Christian names by the narrator, as are the children. It seemed like they were being written off, as if because they weren't central to the story it wasn't worth the bother of giving them African names.
Lastly, the Coles were a tremendous letdown. Josiah is there merely to be an obstacle to Frances's love for Mehuru. Sarah is a character who could have been very interesting and multifaceted had she been handled well. She has every reason in the world for feeling the anger and resentment she feels but she is relegated to the role of shrew. In my opinion, she could have been the best character in the book but instead she is rendered so unlikable that even her most legitimate complaints come across as purely annoying. Had she been portrayed in a more human light, it would have made her attitude toward the slaves all the more chilling.
In summary, Gregory's grasp of history is superb and she obviously put a lot of time and effort into her research. It's a shame that her limp characters detract so severely from that work.
Summary of A Respectable Trade
Bristol in 1787 is booming, a city where power beckons those who dare to take risks. Josiah Cole, a small dockside trader, is prepared to gamble everything to join the big players of the city. But he needs capital and a well-connected wife.Marriage to Frances Scott is a mutually convenient solution. Trading her social contacts for Josiah's protection, Frances finds her life and fortune dependent on the respectable trade of sugar, rum, and slaves.
Into her new world comes Mehuru, once a priest in the ancient African kingdom of Yoruba, now a slave in England. From opposite ends of the earth, despite the difference in status, Mehuru and Frances confront each other and their need for love and liberty.
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