My Jim: A Novel Audiobook

" Book for SPL Tuesday book club for March 2009. This adaptation of the character Jim (from Huck Finn by Mark Twain) expanded the life of this character and was told from the point of view of his wife, Sadie Watson. Writing was fantastic and truthful to the time during our country's history. A must read for everyone. "

" I can almost always be lured into a book that was written because the author decided to extract a minor character from a classic literary work and tell their story. Regardless of whether or not I even read the original, that concept just intrigues me all over the place. This is the story of Sadie, the unnamed wife of Jim from Huckleberry Finn. It's not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but a good solid story that stands completely on its own (um, as evidenced by the fact that I've never actually read Huckleberry Finn). "

" A truly remarkable accomplishment. A voice-filled, compelling, female look at the Twain classics. "

" A retelling of the Huck Finn story from the perspective of Jim's wife Sadie. I love these perspective-shifting tales. "

" Finished reading this short novel focusing on Sadie during slavery and her connection to Jim (Huckleberry Finn). Reminds us again of the power of love under almost unimaginable conditions AND how very small treasures can keep us connected and perhaps sane. "

" Nancy Rawles took a classic novel and extracted a few facts from it. Then, she wrote her own take on these facts, but she barely stuck to the characterization of Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There were certain passages that were an interesting perspective and description of slavery, but overall, it was not a high quality work of fiction. I would not recommend it to others. "

" A moving narrative - and a love story - that exemplifies the humanity and horrors of slavery. A distinct and beautiful voice, Sadie shares with her granddaughter the stories of her most sacred keepsakes. "

" Should be required reading alongside Huck Finn. "

" A quick read that starts slow but folds everything together nicely for a solid ending. "

" Quick and at times difficult read - really interesting story. I loved the idea of taking a well-loved story and writing from the perspective of a peripheral character. "

" This is a wonderful novel with an interesting stucture. I love to use it when I'm teaching Huck Finn. "

" This was good although the connection to Huck Finn seems like an after thought thrown in the last 10 pages. It was very well written and reminds us just how bad the blacks had it and how inhumane we were as a population to each other. "

" It's a beautifully written tragedy of what slave women suffered through before, during, and after The Civil War: the loss of a husband, the constant violence (rapes and beatings), the pregnancy terminations (to avoid having children born into slavery), and the loss of children. "

" Very interesting. The dialect was a little hard to get used to at first, but a good book. "

" A sad story about a dark time in our country's history. Hard to understand man's inhumanity to man. "

" I think that this novel was a good, quick read. Mature audiences should read it because of language and violence. It opens your eyes to the horrors of slavery and shows how bad slavery really was. "

" A heartbreaking novel about the brutality of slavery. I had to keep putting the down because just when you thought it couldn't get worse it does. Highly recommended "

" Powerful....and it made me cry. "

" It is a fine book but I was not at all wowed. I think the subject was not what I wanted to read right now and honestly I think it ahs been done a little better before. I do think it is an accessible, emotional, and realistic read on this subject for a wide age range. "

" Enjoyed this one on CD in the car. takes the character of Jim from Huck Finn and develops a story about the woman who loved him. Enjoyed it! "

" The whole slave situation - pre and post "freeing" was tragic. I liked the spiritual side the slaves kept - and the tenacity and bravery especially of the women. "

" It's a good ya book. The voice could cause students a little bit of trouble, but the subject matter is very strong, definitely a good book about the horrors and heart break of slavery. "

" I was somewhat distractied by the dialect as well, but then got into the groove. I look forward to discussing some of the guide questions at the end of her book. Might even be interested in reading her Gumbo book. "

" Phenomenal. Sadie Watson is one hell of a captivating narrator, and My Jim is a masterpiece. "

" This isn't really about Jim. It is about slavery and living as slaves through the eyes of Sadie Jim's wife. Through the book readers get the feel of life during these turbelant times. "

" Enjoyed this one on CD in the car. takes the character of Jim from Huck Finn and develops a story about the woman who loved him. Enjoyed it! "

" Written in the tradition of novels of American slavery. Uses Huckleberry Finn’s Jim as the protagonist. Compelling story wrapped around a quilt motif. "

" I was somewhat distractied by the dialect as well, but then got into the groove. I look forward to discussing some of the guide questions at the end of her book. Might even be interested in reading her Gumbo book. "

" Hard to get into My Jim at first, but once I did I couldn't put it down! Really enjoyed the book, but at times the writing was distracting- "

" After a long dry spell of not enjoying the book I'm reading, I read this. It's very well-written, sad, amazing and I'm enjoying it for the second time. I read it once several years ago but had forgotten it. I highly recommend this one. "

" A heartbreaking novel about the brutality of slavery. I had to keep putting the down because just when you thought it couldn't get worse it does. Highly recommended "

" It's a beautifully written tragedy of what slave women suffered through before, during, and after The Civil War: the loss of a husband, the constant violence (rapes and beatings), the pregnancy terminations (to avoid having children born into slavery), and the loss of children. "

" Finished reading this short novel focusing on Sadie during slavery and her connection to Jim (Huckleberry Finn). Reminds us again of the power of love under almost unimaginable conditions AND how very small treasures can keep us connected and perhaps sane. "

" Very interesting. The dialect was a little hard to get used to at first, but a good book. "

" This novel is interesting and very sad, but not terribly fulfilling. "

" Should be required reading alongside Huck Finn. "

" A moving narrative - and a love story - that exemplifies the humanity and horrors of slavery. A distinct and beautiful voice, Sadie shares with her granddaughter the stories of her most sacred keepsakes. "

" What I learned from this book.....Old classics are full of new stories, if one reads deeply enough to imagine them "