Abraham's Well

Armentia never thought of herself as a slave although her family was part black, part Native American. Her owner, Mama Emma treated her almost like a daughter, giving her treats and letting her stay over night in the big house. But then something changed. As a child Armentia isn’t sure just what that something is, but she can feel it. And now her beloved Mama Emma is treating her family different…like slaves.

ABRAHAM’S WELL touched this reviewer’s heart like no other book has for a very long time. Written first person, it tells the story of Armentia and her family’s life as black slaves as well as Native Americans who are being forced off of their land. While the characters in ABRAHAM’S WELL are fiction, the events in this tale are based on actual events that happened to the Black Cherokees who walked the Trail of Tears, from modern day North Carolina through Tennessee, through parts of Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and down through Arkansas and into Oklahoma. The author, Ms Sharon Ewell Foster, leads the reader though many sad and emotionally charged events, such as the loss of Armentia’s brother Abraham. The tale so engrossing that it is hard to lay the book aside for even a moment.

The characters in ABRAHAM’S WELL are well thought out, totally believable and will stay with the reader long after the book is finished. Armentia possesses true childlike characteristics that were lost at a much too young of an age. This reviewer laughed and cried with her. There were characters such as Mama Emma that will anger you, and yet will touch a place deep in your heart.

ABRAHAM’S WELL is a must read. The prose is smooth flowing and very gripping. This story is very highly recommended for all readers. Do not miss out on this one, you surely will not be disappointed.

April 2007