Sister of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel
We don’t always think of Jews as being slave holders in the
South but if a planter had cotton they couldn’t do it without
slaves. As the only Jewish planter and
thus slave owner in Georgia, Mordecai Mannheim had a lot to protect. Among these things, his daughter Adelaide.
For her birthday as a child, Adelaide was given Rachel, a
slave. The two grew up together, Adelaide
taught Rachel to read and write, they became friends and confidants. But Rachel must always be conscious of her place. When a grown Adelaide is paired with one of
the few Jewish suitors in the state, it is because of Rachel’s treatment by him
that Adelaide breaks off the engagement and this breaking of the engagement is a scandal and a mark on Adelaide’s life
for years.
When Mordecai discovers Henry Kaltenbach, a dry goods
merchant, he brings him home and sets him down in front of Adelaide. Both Adelaide and Henry know what is meant by
this introduction and they comply and marry.
Henry wants to make his fortune as a cotton planter and enlists the aide of Adelaide's father. But Henry also grapples constantly with the fact the Jews were
held slave in Egypt and here he is, a slave owner himself, for the only purpose
of making his fortune. He is a kind,
fair, gentle man and this torments him.
When the Civil War comes to the family, there are real choices
to be made, family secrets revealed, life decisions to be made. And when deep inside the war a company of
Union soldiers happens on the Georgia plantation to find a Union flag flying
from the roof, the story all comes together.
There are thousands of books about the Civil War and finding
something different can be difficult but this author did bring things I
didn’t think of and wrapped her story around them. It was a refreshing take.
