Provides an unexpectedly thorough account that traces the life of a woman from a Wolof village in Senegal; across the Atlantic via the middle passage; to a Florida community of African slaves and white slave owners.--Southern Historian "An absorbing account of Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley; an African woman who was enslaved; forcibly transported to Florida; held in bondage; freed; and married to her white master; she bore several of his children and then rose to prominence as a slaveholder. . . . Brings a wider understanding to the lives of enslaved and free women in the nineteenth century South."--Journal of American History "Contributes to a growing literature on the possibilities for slave women's emancipation; especially in Spanish territory; and for propertied women’s social and economic power in the Old South."--Journal of Southern History "Reminds the reader of the variations of the slave experience; the possibilities of forging racial bonds; and the debilitating effects of the racial divide in American society."--Georgia Historical Quarterly "Fosters understanding of the differences and similarities in the institution of slavery; in the distinction between free and enslaved; and in attitudes of racial prejudice between Spanish Florida and the United States."--North Carolina Historical Review
#198407 in Books Jean Stein 2016-02-09 2016-02-09Format: Deckle EdgeOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.14 x 6.62l; 1.25 #File Name: 0812998405352 pagesWest of Eden An American Place
Review
65 of 67 people found the following review helpful. Unhappy familiesBy Phelps GatesWhile reading this; I was continually reminded of Tolstoy's well-known sentence "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.†The families in the book enjoyed fabulous wealth and their members often had rewarding and creative careers; but oh; brother... what unhappiness! Murder; suicide; mental illness; financial disasters; etc.; etc. You name it. The only exception was Jean Stein's own family; and perhaps that's just because she didn't talk about it (and even for them there was a kidnapping threat). As a third-generation native of Los Angeles (since escaped); I'm perpetually amazed by the goings-on there. My father was a reporter in Los Angeles in the thirties; and he used to regale us with stories of the rich and famous and their quirks. Stein's book gives us a fascinating picture; with all the important gossip; in a rather unusual format: quotations (often less than a page) from people who actually were there are cleverly strung together in a way that draws the reader inexorably along. Read it; then read some Raymond Chandler; and then go see L.A. Confidential.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A must read for anyone interested iin what shaped Hollywood culture.By T CAs a native of Southern California; I've heard the majority of these events and even knew some of the people and places involved. What made this book unique and fascinating was having so many of the people involved tell how not only how they themselves were Impacted by these events but also the generations that that followed dealt with the fallout.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Cecilia AlmeidaOnly because it is heavy on Jennifer Jones. It saved the book for me.
