The Soul Pitt Writer’s Block

With today’s emergence of high profile dysfunctional relationships portrayed throughout the media to the point one might think it’s the norm, the personal relationship portrayed in Carolyn Barbour Anderson’s “Test of Time” comes as a refreshing break. Not only does the author offer to her readers a story of tested love that survives, but she easily transfers her readers back to the 1800’s. The descriptive voice of the author places the readers firmly on the cold dirt floors of the slave quarters on a thriving pre-civil war South Carolina plantation or in the midst of action in the Master’s kitchen, or on that dark path the slaves whisper about that will lead them to freedom.

“Test of Time” is the story of Odessa, a cautious but spirited young slave girl, alone in the world without family, but surrounded with many friends who offer her plenty of wisdom, support and guidance. The author draws the reader to Odessa’s character through her gentle, naïve and what might seem at times seemingly complaisance in her position as a slave in American society. Even with her naiveté the author equips Odessa with a sharp wit and a strong protective arm towards other slaves, this has placed her at the other end of her Masters’ vicious tongues or at the end of a whip on more than a few occasions. In the midst of this bleak controlled environment, love blooms for Odessa one morning in the brown eyes and strong arms of Zachary, a newly purchased slave. “The man at the reins seemed youthful in face. Odessa took a longer, second look. She studied his face. My, he was handsome! To her surprise, he saw her!”

The author draws on other characters to guide Odessa through the trials and hardships of accepting and committing to a relationship in such times. “You’ll want to look good for that new driver and blacksmith.” Good looking!” says Althea, the plantation cook and motherly friend. The author gives Zachary a strong determination to find freedom, something that Odessa thinks of but is unsure of taking that risk. She faces a monumental decision when Zachary asks her to escape with him to find freedom. She chooses to stay on the plantation and he promises “One day, I’ll be back.”

The author leaves Odessa and the readers wondering, if her love for him is strong enough to withstand their lack of communication, the not knowing what the future will bring and the entrance of another love interest for Odessa, Daniel, an equally handsome and kind man.

The author not only writes a fictional tale of the daily struggle of Odessa and her friends along with the perils of falling in love in a society where you have no control over your own life, but she also intertwines factual threads of history in detailing the daily lives of slaves, from how they used scraps of food, to the way in which clothes were washed, to the dangers of sexual exploitation of both the female and male slaves. She also inserts historical scenes to show the affect that the civil war had on the survival of southern plantations and how after the war some of the southern plantation owners kept the January of 1863 signing of ‘The Emancipation Proclamation’ from their slaves until June of 1863.

Carolyn’s writing captures the feel of the period, the lives, the emotions, the fears and the dreams of the slaves during this era. She paints a realistic love story in “Test of Time.” The characters are not only tested in their belief that love will survive, but their never-ending resilience to their circumstances, and faith in their deliverance. Freedom of any kind is not given but won through faith and determination. Odessa and Zachary found their freedom.

Filed under: Fiction & Poetry