CombiningthehauntingpowerofToniMorrison’sBelovedwiththeevocativeatmosphereofPhillippaGregory’sARespectableTrade,DahlmaLlanos-Figueroa’sgroundbreakingnovelilluminatesalittlediscussedaspectofhistory--thePuertoRicanAtlanticSlaveTrade--witnessedthroughtheexperiencesofPola,anAfricancaptiveusedasabreedertobearmoreslaves.AWomanofEndurance,setinnineteenth-centuryPuertoRicanplantationsociety,followsPola,adeeplyspiritualAfricanwomanwhoiscapturedandlatersoldforthepurposeofbreedingfutureslaves.Theresultingbabiesaretakenfromherassoonastheyareborn.Polalosesthefaiththathasguidedherandbecomesembitteredanddefensive.Thedehumanizingviolenceofherlifealmostdestroysher.Butthisisnotanovelofdefeatbutratheroneofsurvival,regeneration,andreclamationofcommonhumanity.ReadersareinvitedtojoinPolainherjourneytohealing.Fromthesadisticbarbarityofherfirstexperiences,shemovesontoreceivecompassionandsupportfromarevitalizingnewcommunity.Alongtheway,shelearnstorecognizeandembracethemanyfacesoflove--amother’slove,adaughter’slove,asister’slove,aloveofcommunity,andtheself-lovethatshemustrecoverbeforeshecanofferherselftoanother.Itisultimately,anovelofthetriumphofthehumanspiritevenunderthemostbrutalofconditions.
