Page 6
August 4, 1999
Jpu ¥ l latti« (Dhavruvr
<Jocuy>
IN P R I N T
A Long Way From Home
h is c h o c o la te -c o lo r e d fa c e , C la r a im a g ­
h e m ig h t d o . E v e r y b o d y in th e s e p a r ts
in e d h e p r o b a b ly h a d a p r e tty g o o d
k n e w th a t M a s s ’ T o d d h a d a tta c k e d
FROM
id e a th a t s o m e t h in g fis h y w a s g o in g
h e r . T h e y a ls o k n e w th a t h e r d a d d y
t h in g a b o u t fr e e d o m , ‘c a u s e I d o n ’t
a fresh lo o k at o n e o f o u r f o u n d in g
k n o w a n y th in g a b o u t it. It ta k es m o n e y
fa th e r s , A
a n d k n o w -h o w t o liv e free. Y o u d o n ’t
H O M E o ffe r s u n iq u e in s ig h t in t o th e
o n h e r e . H e g la n c e d d o w n at th e b a s ­
h a d to r u n a fte r g o i n g u p a g a in s t th e
d a y -to -d a y liv e s o f t h e s e w o m e n - t h e ir
k e t a n d la u n d r y s tr e w n o v e r t h e y a r d
w h it e fo lk s in tr y in g to d e f e n d h is
L ife w ill c h a n g e fo r b o t h m o t h e r
h e a r tb r e a k s a n d tr iu m p h s , te a r s a n d
a n d r u b b e d h is d a r k b e a r d . F o r a f le e t ­
d a u g h te r . S h e h o p e d S q u ir e w a s n ’t
a n d d a u g h te r , t h o u g h , w ith th e d e a th
s u r v iv a l - a n d th e h o p e s a n d d r e a m s
in g m o m e n t , C la r a w o r r ie d a b o u t w h a t
a b o u t to d o a n y t h in g f o o lis h .”
p e lie r p la n ta tio n . T h e r e is S u s ie , th e
o f J a m e s M a d is o n a n d th e d e p a r tu r e
th a t k e e p t h e m to g e th e r e v e n a s th e y
m a tria r c h w h o s e str ict w a y s a n d c o o l
o f h is w ife fo r h e r to w n h o u s e , e v e n ts
h e a d c a n o n ly k e e p h e r fa m ily s a fe for
th a t le a v e th e e s t a t e in th e h a n d s o f
to w a r d th e p r o m is e o f f r e e d o m . It is a
s o lo n g . T h e r e is h e r d a u g h te r , C la r a ,
D o lly ’s p r o flig a te s o n , T o d d . A s a re­
m o v in g , a m b itio u s sto r y o f o n e fa m ily s
s t r o n g - w ille d
a n d sm a r t-m o u th e d ,
s u lt o f h is n e g le c t f u l s te w a r d s h ip , th e
w h o s e p a in fu l sec r et s h a p e s h e r fa m ily ’s
p la n t a t io n s o o n fa lls to a s e r ie s o f
d e s tin y . A n d th e r e a r e C la r a ’s d a u g h ­
o w n e r s , e a c h p o s in g a n e w th r e a t to
te r s, S u sa n a n d E lle n . B e a u tifu l, b r a v e ,
S u s ie a n d C la r a , a n d o th e r lo n g t im e
a n d e x tr e m e ly lig h t-sk in n e d , S u sa n a n d
M a d is o n s la v e s w ith w h o m th e tw o
E lle n s h a r e a d e s ir e to k n o w th e ir
h a v e s h a r e d th e ir e n t ir e liv e s.
H a rp er Collins, 1 9 9 9
B y C onnie B riscoe
A LO N G W AY FROM
HOME
ju s t u p a n d d o it.”
te lls th e e m o tio n a lly c h a r g e d sto r y o f
th r e e g e n e r a t io n s o f h o u s e h o ld sla v e s
o n P r e sid e n t J a m e s M a d is o n ’s M o n t­
LONG
W AY
are t o m a p a r t, a n d th a t p u s h th e m
in d e s tr u c tib le sp ir it in t h e fa c e o f s la ­
v e r y , to ld p r o u d ly b y o n e o f th e ir d e ­
s c e n d e n ts a n d o n e o f t o d a y ’s m o s t
ly r ic a l, a c c o m p lis h e d a u th o r s .
A n e x c e r p t: “D r u n k e n f o o l w a s n ’t
w orth a fart in a w h ir lw in d . H e s h o u ld n t
fa th e r ’s id e n tity a n d to s p e n d th e ir liv e s
A m id s t t h e s e d e v a s t a t in g c h a n g e s ,
e v e n b e h e r e . H e d id n ’t o w n th is p la c e
to g e th er ; b u t a c r u e l tw ist o f fa te rip s th e
C la r a g r o w s in t o w o m a n h o o d a n d
a n y m o re . B e c a u s e o f h is s h o d d y m a n ­
b e c o m e s a m o t h e r h e r s e lf, g iv in g b ir th
a g e m e n t o f M o n tp e lie r , th e ir liv e s w e r e
n in g for fr e e d o m a n d th e o th e r far fro m
to tw o lig h t-s k in n e d d a u g h te r s , E lle n
r u in e d . F o r th e first tim e in y e a r s , s h e
th e h o m e s h e h a s k n o w n a n d lo v e d .
a n d S u sa n . Y e t th e th r e a t o f s e p a r a tio n
h a d o n a h a lfw ay d e c e n t d r e ss, n o th a n k s
T h is h a u n tin g ly b e a u t ifu l n o v e l
th a t h a s s h a p e d h e r lif e is s o o n a r e a l­
to h im . S h e b a c k e d fa r th er a w a y a n d , in
o p e n s in th e p e a c e fu l P ie d m o n t a r e a o f
ity w h e n h e r y o u n g e r d a u g h te r , S u s a n ,
th e fo ld s o f h e r sk irt, m a d e a fis t w ith
V ir g in ia . T r a in e d as a h o u s e sla v e s in c e
is s o ld to a w e a lt h y b u s in e s s m a n in
c h ild h o o d , S u s ie e n jo y s th e p r iv ile g e s
R ic h m o n d . S u s a n m u s t c r e a te a n e w
th a t h e r p o s itio n a s m a id to M is s D o lle y
life fo r h e r s e lf in th is b u s t lin g c ity , a
c o m e a n y w h e r e n e a r h e r , h e w o u ld
p r o v id e s h e r a n d C la r a . F o r S u s ie , life
lif e th a t w ill b e f ille d w ith b o t h te r r o r
d a m n s u r e fe e l it.
h o ld s n o m y s te r y , n o p r o m is e b e y o n d
a n d h o p e , fo r it is in C iv il W a r -to r n
H e m a d e a m o v e t o d o j u s t th a t -
th e b o u n d a r ie s o f th e p la n ta tio n its e lf -
R ic h m o n d th a t s h e w ill fin d lo v e a n d
g e t d o w n fr o m h is h o r s e - b u t w a s s o
a le ss o n s h e tries to im p a rt to th e d r e a m y
r e a liz e th e lo n g - h e ld d r e a m o f h e r a n ­
d r u n k a n d fa t, h e h a d tr o u b le lif tin g
C la r a , w h o lo n g s to c o n tr o l h e r o w n
c e s to r s : fr e e d o m .
fa m ily ap a rt, s e n d in g o n e siste r r u n ­
C o \ N I
IÌ l< I s c o
h e r h a n d . H e c o u ld n ’t s e e it, b u t if h e
d a r e d t o g e t d o w n o f f th a t h o r s e a n d
h is r u m p . S h e t u r n e d t o f le e a n d
d e s tin y d e s p ite h e r m o t h e r ’s fr ig h te n ­
T o ld a g a in s t th e b r e a th ta k in g b a c k -
b u m p e d s m a c k in t o S q u ir e M a y , th e
in g a d m o n itio n ; “Y o u d o n ’t k n o w a
d r o p o f A m e r ic a n h is to r y th a t in c lu d e s
d r iv e r w h o h a d r e p la c e d D a d d y o n t h e
B e ll p la n ta tio n , as h e r o u n d e d th e
Meet the Author
!
1?
I nterview by J oy R smos
Q: When d id the thought (puritinp this nopdemerge?
T h e known history of the family was that the
T w o in particular are the Christine Genealogy
C onnie Briscoe: I used to visit m y grand­
familv had been slaves on the Madison planta­
web site page, created by an individual w ho has
mother when 1 was little, and on one o f the
tion for several generations. But that wasn't
gathered information over the years.
visits I noticed a picture sitting on her dresser
enough information. So I researched the lives
And another is the Afro Genius web
o f what looked liked two white women. Being
o f the slaves and what it was like to be a slave
site, which is a mailing list o f people
blackl found that to be very strange. Solasked
on the Jam es M adison plantation at the time
who are searching for their roots.
her w ho were the two white w om en and why
m y great-grandmother Susan and her sister
Q: How d id you create the main characters
did she have a picture
Clara were alive. T his took place during the
o f them , and she told
peak of the 1800’s, approximately around the
Connie Briscoe: All o f the major
m e that they were not
1820’» - 1830. Jam es M adison had becom e
characters an * 1 based on real people
white that thev were
deeply in debt because his crops were going
Like the slave named Sarah in the
black w om en o f my
bad and his stepson was an alcoholic withabad
book, she was a real slave w ho lived on
family w ho were slaves
gam bling problem. Jam es M adison had to
the Madison plantation. I h e formal
on the plantation of
spend tens o f thousands of dollars trying to get
research took three years. By this time,
him ou tofd eb t-B yth e 1830’s, he was severely
I had grown a passion to write the
in d e b t President M adison didn’t believe in
novel I h e writing of the novel ttxik at
selling slaves, but he had no choice but to sell
least a year and a half. I identify most
16 o f his slaves to save his land.
with Susan because she lived the clos­
Q Whatadnceuouldyougive toAfrican Ameritam
est tom y time and shewas the onew ho
who want to research there ancestralhistory?
was freed after theCivil War. Shedied
C o n n i e B r is c o e
son. Onewas m y great-
w as
her sister Ellen As I had gotten older I did
more research and started to leant m ore about
m y ancestors and the plantation o f Jam es
\
’ \
\
fr o m h is lip s. J u d g in g fr o m t h e lo o k o n
There are Internet sites that will help you too.
great-grandmother Susan and the other
>
w h is tlin g , b u t th e t u n e fe ll q u ic k ly
a very young age, she was about 14 years old.
___________________ PresidentJames Made
i
c o m e r o f th e la u n d r y h o u s e . H e w a s
xi
D IX O N 'S
5804 N Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
(503) 289-6062
RIB PIT
LDP G raph ic D e sig n
G raphic
d e sig n for t o d a y ’ s g r o w in g b u s in e s s .
59<
M adison. I went four generations back to my
C onnie Briscoe: T o anyone w ho may be
in 1870 at a very young age o f the
• l.l H it > D E S I G N
• AD I .A M ,I T S
great-great-great-great grandmother, Susie. She
pondering on his or her ancestral history, 1
disease yellow fever. Her husband
• I I.YI RS
had a daughter nam ed Clara w ho was also a
would say to start with an old family member,
( »liver died in 1820andhe was theone
• BI SINI SS SI. IS
slave. Susan's father was a white m an who
the older the better because they will know
who passed on the story to his daugh­
• C A M E R A R I -A D Y
ter Minnie, who was my greatgrand­
A N D M L C II M O R I .
COLOR COPIES
VO WI.VIMt M
\R Ì
owned a plantation.
more about it than anyoneeise and because life
Q: H hatuas the earheststore thatyouuierettddabout
isn’t forever and you don't know how much
mother I can remember M innie and
them?
C crm ie Briscoe: T h e eadiest story that I
tim e is left. T hey will give you the richest
a cousin o f h e n sitting around talking
anecdotes that you will not find between the
about Susan and her sister Ellen. The
Ms. Lauri C h a m b ers
was told was that Susan’s father would com e
pages o f any book. T here are dozens of gene
fact that Susan entered m y life through
GnphR Di-rwur. Owner
into to their room every night and give her and
alogv books to direct you and there are a lot of
the conversations that we had about
her sister a penny Also that Susan was sold at
African-American genealogy books as well.
her made her more real to me
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