Cane River

By: Lalita Tademy

Narrated by: Shari Belafonte, Jo Marie Payton, Edwina Moore

It is on a medium Creole plantation owned by a family named Derbanne that the stories of four astonishing women who battled vast injustices to create a legacy of hope and achievement came to life. They were women whose lives began in slavery, who weathered the Civil War, and who grappled with the contradictions of emancipation through the turbulent early years of the twentieth century. Through it all, they fought to unite their family and forge success on their own terms.

Amid small farmhouses and a tightly knit community of French-speaking slaves, free people of color, and whites, Tademy's great-great-great-great-grandmother Elisabeth would bear both a proud heritage and the yoke of slavery. Her youngest daughter, Suzette, would be the first to discover the promise - and heartbreak of freedom. Suzette's strong-willed daughter Philomene would use determination born of tragedy to reunite her family and gain unheard-of economic independence. And Emily, Philomene's spirited daughter, would fight to secure her children's just due and preserve their future against dangerous odds.

Check out more selections from Oprah's Book Club.©2001 by Lalita Tademy (P)2001 by Time Warner AudioBooks (Packaging Elements Only), A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

Critic reviews

• An Oprah Book Club Selection

" "Melodic voices and elegant description of four generations of African-American women lull you into the past and bring you into the rich, textured lives of the Derbanne family." (AudioFile)

Battle between white and colour....

I was alittle hesitant about this book. But knowing it was on Oprahs list I thought I'd give it a try. Absolutely believable. A fascinating listen about a family of 'coloured' people and their struggle to become 'normal and accepted'in the late 1800's/1900's. Whilst listening you feel yourself becoming a part of this family and hoping that they would win the battle between white and coloured people. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Started alittle slow I thought but definately glad I continued, infact found myself not wanting to 'put it down'!!

One of my favorite books

I love this book. And the voice performers really bring it to life… I, like many black people in America don’t know the stories of my ancestors who were enslaved and who fought so that future generations would have a chance.

Love this story!!

I have read this book several times and it gets better every time. Wish the audible wouldn’t have been abridged because I get like it lost a bit of itself but the story is still there and in tact and is beautifully written. Will listen to again as it is shorter and I can enjoy it again as much as the paper copy itself.

Celebrity narrators

The story had potential but missed the opportunity to talk about the nuances of colorism in antebellum Louisiana.
Jo Marie Payton and Shari Belefonte are amazing women but awful narrators. They missed the mark on a lot of their sections. Also, they spoke way too fast and stumbled through the French names.

Cane River

Wonderful story and narration. As a white women, I felt a part of this family. I would have given 5 stars except that it ends abruptly. It seemed as if the author just ran out of paper.

They say this book is fiction. I say it’s fact based fiction.

I have an older cousin who told me that a white woman once asked her why our people come in so many different colors. She told her to ask her white men. Perhaps if we take the time to move out of our comfort zones we’ll learn how to stop the hate, hurt and ignorance. My thanks to this writer for sharing this fact based story.

Loved it!!

It was a great read. The narrators made you feel like you were really there.

The new narrator/abridged version

I have no idea how Audible can replace a book I bought and paid for with an abridged version read by a different narrator. This is one of my all time favorite books, and no one can perform it as well as Robin Miles! She’s fabulous! I was so upset when I went back to listen to “Cane River” again and was unable to find it. I called Audible and was told they lost the rights to that version and they’d replace it with a different one. I want the original back!

Cane River Negri Genealogy

This is my second go round and I think it should be required reading in the schools.

Good legacy story

I enjoyed this, more than I thought I would. Great story about legacy and how race or the perception of race dictates mosh facets of American life, one way or the other.