Book Review: Zoe
- Author
- T.A. Ford
- Grade
- A+
A Cinderella-like tale that mixes romance with issues of race, slavery, and class.
Ford’s first novel is set Toulouse, France, in the early 1800s. Zoe Bouchard is the child of a white French man and an African woman, both deeply in love but unable to marry due to social taboos. Thus, her father marries a more socially-acceptable woman and Zoe is raised by a stepmother, who raises both Zoe and her own daughter, Marianne. Although both children grow up to be women of status, Zoe is not oblivious to the fact that her skin color marks her as different. The lustful glances from the same men who treat her sister with more honor are only one of the many reminders of their differences.
Although she is older than Marianne, Zoe must remain in the background while a marriage is negotiated between Marianne and Comte Julien La Roque de Toulouse. However, when La Roque sees Zoe, he knows that she is the one that he wants. However, Zoe does not feel the same way about him at first. Eventually, however Zoe succumbs to La Roque’s advances and a passionate night with La Roque sparks the beginning of Zoe’s problems. She is thrown into a never-ending trap of dealing with her own feelings for La Roque and the respect of her family. Although, Zoe does finally admit her feelings for La Roque, obstacles (including La Roque’s inability to commit) keep the two apart.
As her life grows more chaotic, Zoe finds herself on a ship to America as a slave trader’s mistress. Soon, she realizes La Roque is the only person who can save her.
Other side stories tie in nicely with the main plot. Zoe’s stepmother, Madame Bouchard, tolerates Zoe and properly raises her with her own daughter, Marianne. However, it is very apparent that she does not like Zoe. Sometimes antagonists, especially in romantic novels, are written without much depth to them. But in this novel, that is not the case. Madame Bouchard is shown as a woman with complex motives that further drive the plot. Even the slave trader is given a softer side, as he at one point becomes Zoe’s only savior from other men.
The novel was superb: not only was it a beautiful and romantic tale, but it did not glaze over the more serious issues that Zoe faced as a woman of African descent during the 19th century. For example, both Zoe and the reader get a taste of lecherous men and their attitudes toward the captive African women and girls on the ship to America.
In the end, karma comes back to punish the bad and reward the good, as T.A Ford leaves you with a pleasant ending that warms your heart. This is a fantastic first novel and is highly recommended.
Copyright A. Anderson. Published 1 September 2008 in What’s New.
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