#sophfronia Scott

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2023 📖 no. 034

Wild, Beautiful, and Free by Sophfronia Scott

“I was a beloved child. I think I knew that before I knew anything else. So now I can’t settle for anything less that such love. That’s just the truth of who I am.”

#books #2023 reads #wild beautiful and free #Sophfronia Scott #booklr #lit edit

[eyreguide]

Book Review: Wild, Beautiful, and Free

Wild, Beautiful, and Free by Sophfronia Scott

Plot Summary: Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister—until her father suddenly dies. His vindictive wife refuses twelve-year-old Jeannette her inheritance and sells her into slavery. Now on her own, Jeannette must fight the injustices she faces because of her mixed race. She escapes enslavement and travels from Mississippi to Philadelphia to New York to Ohio, all while searching for purpose, love, and her place in a country torn asunder by the burgeoning Civil War. Everything seems to fall into place when she meets Christian Robichaud Colchester, the white proprietor of Fortitude Mansion, a safe haven for escaped slaves where Jeannette teaches. But despite their instant connection, Jeannette isn’t convinced she belongs in his circle. In a world that tells her she doesn’t fit anywhere, Jeannette must decide what’s more important: bending to the expectations of others or embracing her true self.

Review:

This was a surprising retelling of Jane Eyre because it brought the story into an unexpected backdrop - race and slavery during the American Civil War. The story translates the struggles of young Jane in the original novel at the hands of Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, to the horrific experiences of enslavement, which made Jeannette's story even more impactful.

Jeannette is just as strong willed as Jane, and has the added comfort of having known a loving parent in her father who doted on her and treated her as a general favorite, although it upset his wife. Of course the hatred that Madame Bébinn felt for Jeannette is understandable in one sense - that Jeannette is the product of her husband's infidelity, but in the other sense - that Jeannette is half black - well that takes away all the sympathy we could have felt for her in that situation.

Most of the first half of this book is devoted to Jeannette's experiences as a young girl and I think this aspect is what makes this such an intriguing book. It shows a side of history and humanity that it is important to recognize, as it shaped our country and still has repercussions today. It's very impactful to read about Jeannette's struggle to escape slavery, as well as how it forms her as a woman. And in how it eventually forms the main conflict between her and the "Mr. Rochester" Christian Colchester.

While I enjoyed the romance between Jeannette and Christian - somehow the intensity and the emotional connection just wasn't there. It was hard to follow up with the romance, after such a harrowing and moving depiction of surviving slavery and especially for Jeannette to go through that at a young age. But I did appreciate the nuance in parallel between the original novel and the romance of this one. There is still a sense of mystery, although Colchester's secret is a little different to Rochester. I appreciated the turn this story took, and that the conflict felt right for the characters.

Once Jeannette strikes out again on her own, the author again brings interesting historical realism in how the protagonist becomes a nurse during the Civil War. It felt right for Jeannette, and also added so much to her character for her to show such compassion to others in the face of so much trauma and grief. I felt that this part of the story was also more captivating than the middle section with the romance. And Jeannette gets to reunite with someone that created the perfect, stirring moment that paled a little in comparison to her reunion with Colchester. Which was very sweet in itself, but just not the point of the story.

Jeanette builds some incredible connections with different characters throughout the book, and with the historical realism in the setting - I feel those to be the strong points of the story. The romance and the comparison to Jane Eyre is nice, but if you are at all interested in the setting, this is a wonderful and insightful read.

Goodreads 4/5 stars

I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.

#jane eyre #book review #charlotte bronte #wild beautiful and free #sophfronia Scott #books

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Wild Beautiful and Free: A Novel

By Sophfronia Scott.

#Wild Beautiful and Free #Sophfronia Scott #books #book covers

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

[My son’s wedding]

* * * *

"Human presence is a creative and turbulent sacrament, a visible sign of invisible grace…Friendship is the sweet grace that liberates us to approach, recognize, and inhabit this adventure." John O’Donahue quoted in The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton by Sophfronia Scott, p. 83 :: [revmeg]

#quotes #Friendship #John O'Donohue #revmeg #my flickr files

[thebookdragon217]

Happy Sunday! Still looking for books to read for Women's History Month? Add Wild Beautiful and Free by Sophfronia Scott. BIPOC historical fiction is my jam and this one is recommended by one of my favorite authors. Thanks to @tlcdiversity @amazonpublishing for the gifted copy. QOTD: What are you reading for Women's History Month? 🪻SYNOPSIS🪻 From award-winning author Sophfronia Scott comes the story of one young woman’s bold journey to reclaim her birthright and carve out her own place in a world that tells her she doesn’t belong. Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister—until her father suddenly dies. His vindictive wife refuses twelve-year-old Jeannette her inheritance and sells her into slavery. Now on her own, Jeannette must fight the injustices she faces because of her mixed race. She escapes enslavement and travels from Mississippi to Philadelphia to New York to Ohio, all while searching for purpose, love, and her place in a country torn asunder by the burgeoning Civil War. Everything seems to fall into place when she meets Christian Robichaud Colchester, the white proprietor of Fortitude Mansion, a safe haven for escaped slaves where Jeannette teaches. But despite their instant connection, Jeannette isn’t convinced she belongs in his circle. In a world that tells her she doesn’t fit anywhere, Jeannette must decide what’s more important: bending to the expectations of others or embracing her true self. #WildBeautifulandFree #bookish #bookstagram #SophfroniaScott #20booksbyblackwomen #books #23histficbookswithme #reading #igreads #bookphotos #bookworm #historicalfiction #BlackAuthors #20booksbyblackfolx #fiction #bookrecommendation #literature #bookstagrammer #booklover #booksbooksbooks #readersofIG https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp_Yq0Nr-FC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#wildbeautifulandfree #bookish #bookstagram #sophfroniascott #20booksbyblackwomen #books #23histficbookswithme #reading #igreads #bookphotos #bookworm #historicalfiction #blackauthors #20booksbyblackfolx #fiction #bookrecommendation #literature #bookstagrammer #booklover #booksbooksbooks #readersofig

[bookclub4m]

22 “Literary Fan Fiction” (retellings, adaptations, sequels, parallel novels, etc.) books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

For this booklist, the original story being retold/referenced appears (in parentheses).

Telling Tales by Patience Agbabi (Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer)

The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (El Gaucho Martín Fierro by José Hernández)

The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang (The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Windward Heights by Maryse Condé (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)

The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud (The Stranger by Albert Camus)

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (A Room With a View by E.M. Forster)

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (The Horror of Red Hook by H.P. Lovecraft)

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells)

The Holder of the World by Bharati Mukherjee (The Scarlet Letter by Nataniel Hawthorne and the Ramayana by Valmiki)

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor (The Tempest by William Shakespeare)

Even in Paradise by Elizabeth Nunez (King Lear by William Shakespeare)

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (The Tale of Shim Ch'ŏng)

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel (The Ramayana by Valmiki)

The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall (Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell)

My Jim by Nancy Rawles (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)

Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson (Wee'git stories)

Unforgivable Love by Sophfronia Scott (Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos)

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Prince of Cats by Ron Wimberly (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

Sansei and Sensibility by Karen Tei Yamashita (Various works by Jane Austen)

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

#booklists #literary fanfiction

[revmeg]

I will never fulfill my obligation to surpass myself unless I first accept myself--and if I accept myself fully in the right way I will already have surpassed myself. For it is the unaccepted self that stands in my way--and will continue to do so as long as it is not accepted. When it has been accepted--it is my own stepping stone to what is above me.

Thomas Merton quoted in The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton by Sophfronia Scott, p. 44

#Thomas Merton #Sophfronia Scott #The Seeker and the Monk #spirituality #self

[nprbooks]

The 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses — a steamy story of aristocrats behaving badly — has been told many times over the centuries in adaptations for the stage and screen. A new retelling, Unforgivable Love, has just as much betrayal and bed-hopping as the original, but in a new setting: glamorous, 1940s Harlem.

Author Sophfronia Scott says she was inspired to set the story in high society Harlem by the story of Madam C.J. Walker — a wealthy, African-American entrepreneur who made her fortune in beauty and hair products.

Find her conversation with Lulu Garcia-Navarro here.

-- Petra

#books #reading #fiction #harlem #dangerous liaisons #unforgivable love #sophfronia scott

[blacksandbooks]

Unforgivable Love: A Retelling of Dangerous Liaisons

Sophfronia Scott

ISBN 0062655671

In this vivid re-imagining of the French classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses, it’s the summer when Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball’s color barrier and a sweltering stretch has Harlem’s elite fleeing the city for Westchester County’s breezier climes. But there two predators stalking amidst the manicured gardens and fine old homes. Heiress Mae Malveaux rules society with an angel’s smile and a heart of stone. She made up her mind long ago that nobody would decide her fate. To have the pleasure she craves, control is paramount, especially control of the men Mae attracts like moths to a flame. Valiant Jackson always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Mae for years. The door finally opens for him when Mae strikes a bargain: seduce her virginal young cousin, Cecily, who is engaged to Frank Washington. Frank values her innocence above all else. If successful, Val’s reward will be a night with Mae. But Val secretly seeks another prize. Elizabeth Townsend is fiercely loyal to her church and her civil rights attorney husband. Certain there is something redeemable in Mr. Jackson. Little does she know that her most unforgivable mistake will be Val’s greatest triumph.

#Sophfronia Scott #romance #historical fiction #Retellings #1940's

[bookish]

We’ve all been there: We read a novel, and wonder “How did the author do that?!” Sophfronia Scott has written just such a novel. Her book Unforgivable Love is a retelling of Dangerous Liaisons that will enchant and entertain readers with its historical flair. Here, she tells Bookish readers just how she went about adapting the original.

#bookish #booklr #sophfronia scott #unforgivable love #dangerous liasions #historical fiction #am writing

[brigdh]

Reading Wednesday... ON WEDNESDAY! :O

Unforgivable Love by Sophfronia Scott. A retelling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses set in 1940s Harlem. There are some immediate differences from the original: it's not an epistolary novel, which I have mixed feelings about; on the one hand, I LOVE epistolary novels, but on the other hand the third-person limited POVs certainly allow Scott to dig deeper into characters' motivations and feelings. In addition, the Marquise de Merteuil (here Mae Malveaux, wealthy heir to a cosmetics fortune, the products all emblazoned with her baby photos) is less of a main character, replaced in her central role by Vicomte de Valmont (Valiant Jackson, equally wealthy club owner and number runner, though stymied in his life-long dream of owning a baseball team; as another character puts it, no one whose money comes from gambling is ever going to be allowed to buy a sports team) and Cécile de Volanges (Cecily, still an innocent young girl, though in this case her inexperience comes from being sent to live on the family farm in North Carolina rather than a convent). The relationship between Val and Madame de Tourvel (Elizabeth Townsend, a deeply religious woman married to an important civil rights lawyer who is currently away working on a case down South) probably takes up the largest page-count of any of this story's many subplots, with Scott working hard to show how two such different people could find a genuine connection, one deep and true enough to change both of their self-images. The biggest difference, though, is one of tone; Les Liaisons Dangereuses revels in its characters' remorseless evil, and isn't particularly interested in giving them tragic backstories to account for their actions. The Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are terrible, terrible people, but by God they're fun to watch. Unforgivable Love not only gives them those explanatory childhoods, but by making Elizabeth and Cecily equal narrators, shifts the focus from badass villains to normal people struggling with ethical choices. There's a general tone of redemption, of hopefulness, of the possibility of making good out of this tragedy. Which I can't really argue with as a philosophical standpoint, but it's not what I come to Les Liaisons Dangereuses for. It also contrasts harshly with some of the actions required by the plot; Cecily and Val's first sexual encounter in particular is incredibly uncomfortable to read, given that it's described in no uncertain terms as rape, yet Cecily gets over it immediately and happily returns to sleeping with Val. I also think the book's page-count of 500-plus was probably unnecessary; certainly there's a lot of twists and turns in this story, not to mention a fairly large cast of characters, but Unforgivable Love felt like it dragged in parts, particularly compared to the slim swift-moving original novel. But I feel like I'm complaining a lot here, and I didn't actually dislike Unforgivable Love. I love a good modern-AU fanfic (which is essentially what this is), and the analogies Scott has found for the characters' roles are clever and well-suited. Many of the descriptions of settings are absolutely lovely, from Harlem's jazz clubs to a rural farm to the lush grounds of an upstate mansion where much of the book takes place. Cecily's character arc of slowly coming to understand and accept her own sexuality is brilliant and well-written. I love Les Liaisons Dangereuses and will always be interested in retellings of it. Part of my disappointment with Unforgivable Love might simply be that my expectations were far too high. But even if it's not everything I wanted, it's well worth reading, and I hope it does well. 

[DW link for ease of commenting]

#books #book reviews #sophfronia scott

[readincolour]

#BookReview: UNFORGIVABLE LOVE by Sophfronia Scott

Summary: In this vivid reimagining of the French classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses, it’s the summer when Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball’s color barrier and a sweltering stretch has Harlem’s elite fleeing the city for Westchester County’s breezier climes, two predators stalk amidst the manicured gardens and fine old homes Heiress Mae Malveaux rules society with an angel’s smile and a heart of stone. She made up her mind long ago that nobody would decide her fate. To have the pleasure she craves, control is paramount, especially control of the men Mae attracts like moths to a flame. Valiant Jackson always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Mae for years. The door finally opens for him when Mae strikes a bargain: seduce her virginal young cousin, Cecily, who is engaged to Frank Washington. Frank values her innocence above all else. If successful, Val’s reward will be a night with Mae. But Val secretly seeks another prize. Elizabeth Townsend is fiercely loyal to her church and her civil rights attorney husband. Certain there is something redeemable in Mr. Jackson. Little does she know that her worst mistake will be Val’s greatest triumph. Review: I have to be up front with you and tell you I've never read Dangerous Liaisons and I've never watched the movie. Yet, I was fascinated at the thought of a more modern day telling of a book originally set in 18th century France, in the royal court no less. With scenes set in 1940s Harlem and tony Westchester County, Unforgivable Love is full of luscious people and settings. Mae Malveaux is a petty and heartless woman who uses her fame and wealth to control those around her like puppets. Val Jackson is a conquering hero, and while he's bedded most of Harlem, he's never had Mae. And so the two decide to play a game. If Val gives Mae what she wants most, which is revenge, she'll give him what he wants most. Petty McPettington, right? But Val agrees to Mae's foolishness because male pride and dumb ideas typically go hand in hand. Scott creates the perfect ingenue in Cecily. Sent down South by her mother to reign in her free spirited ways, she's newly arrived back in Harlem and she's country dumb. Elizabeth Townsend loves her husband, but as a civil rights attorney, he's traveling the country trying cases like his name is Thurgood. Elizabeth is a virtuous woman with a generous heart and that's what draws Val to her. Though he's more like Mae than he'd care to admit, he strives to be like Elizabeth. These two women are nothing like the fiery Mae, but they are at the center of the game Val is playing on Mae's behalf. Val's aunt, who has raised him since his parents died, may be the only woman Val loves unconditionally and without motive. She's no shrinking violet, in fact, I get the idea that in her heyday, she was as ruthless as Mae, but not as vindictive. In many ways, she's Val's moral compass. I loved so much about this book: the characters, the descriptive scenery, the dialogue. Though the men are important in this story, the contrasting personalities of the women are most fascinating. It's obvious that the author put a lot of thought and care into the characters and details. I'm not sure if Scott plans to continue her journey in writing with more retellings and/or historical fiction, but I sincerely hope she will give it consideration.

528 p. Published: September 2017 Disclaimer: Copy of book received from publisher, opinions are my own. November 01, 2017 at 11:00AM from ReadInColour.com http://ift.tt/2gUCCmB

#Books #ReadInColour #WeNeedDiverseBooks Harlem #historical fiction #Sophfronia Scott #Unforgivabl

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

This is an edited version of an unusual cloud formation off Pinellas county from a few days ago.

[Ed Fosgate]

* * * *

"Now my whole being breathes the wind that blows through the belfry and my hand is on the door through which I see the heavens. The door swings out upon a vast sea of darkness and of prayer. Will it come like this, the moment of my death? Will You open a door upon the great forest and set my feet upon a ladder under the moon and take me out among the stars?" - Thomas Merton quoted in The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton by Sophfronia Scott, p. 175-176

[alive on all channels]

#Ed Fosgate #Pinellas County #clouds #Thomas Merton #quotes #Alive On All Channels

[dont-call--me-sugar]

Happy Book-day Unforgivable Love!

Happy Bookday to Unforgivable Love by Sophfronia Scott!!

I’ve been SO excited about this book since I first heard about it and since I saw the cover. Les Liaisons Dangereuses is one of my favorite films–Glenn Close and John Malkovich were phenomenal and those costumes (!!!) and I just have a love for the story. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading Ms. Scott’s other novels, but I am planning to start with this one. It’s exciting to me to see a woman of…

View On WordPress

#book blog #book spotlight #Historical Fiction #new releases #sophfronia scott #women of color

[gjacksarkwen314]

Unforgivable Love By: Sophfronia Scott | Review

Unforgivable Love By: Sophfronia Scott | Review

Unforgivable Love: A Retelling of Dangerous Liaisons By: Sophfronia Scott Rating: 4.5 stars Genre: Historical Fiction, Retellings, Romance, Release Date: September 26, 2017 Publisher: William Morrow/ HarperCollins HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble| Book Depository Synopsis: “A dazzlingly dark and engaging tale full of heartbreak, treachery, and surprise.” – Kirkus In this vivid reimagining…

View On WordPress

#bloggerrecommendations #booklover #bookobsessions #bookpromotion #BookReview #bookreviewpost #diversitybook #historicalfiction #newadultromancebooks #TLCBookTours #1940s #Books #cruel intentions #cultural-african american #dangerous liasions #Diverse books #harlem #jazz #love #poc authors #POC content #poc leads #retellings #sophfronia scott #Strong and smart female protagonist #Strong Female protagonists

[revmeg]

If we instinctively seek a paradisical and special place on earth, it is because we know in our inmost hearts that the earth was given us in order that we might find meaning, order, truth, and salvation in init. The world is not only a vale of tears. There is joy in it somewhere. Joy is to be sought, for the glory of God.

Thomas Merton quoted in The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton by Sophfronia Scott, p. 64

#The Seeker and the Monk #Thomas Merton #Sophfronia Scott #God #joy #world