A Woman of Endurance audiobook

"Grief is relentless. It will eat your insides out and leave a carcass that can help no one, not even yourself. Been acquainted with it more than once, and this I know: it will seduce you, pull you into darkness, and it will feed on your soul until there is nothing left."I am writing this review with literal tears in my eyes because I am so emotional. No one ever tells us about the gifts and talents of our ancestors, or about the things that brought them joy, or the power and healing of food and medicinal practices, or of the depths of their spirituality and the strength of their community. More importantly no one ever tells us that they survived because they had each other and that the bond of trust and endurance was their foundation.A Woman of Endurance also spoke to me about the power of all-consuming grief and its ability to steal the joy of life. Through Pola I have felt the grief of what was stolen from the womb, have felt the abuse and loss of one's body, have experienced the loss of hope and faith and have longed for the memories of original homes.But Pola's journey has taught me that being open to the healing process is what returns autonomy and brings possibilities for restoration. Grief aims to hold to you hostage and steal the joy that is found all around you. Community is essential for survival and our ancestors survived because they carried each other's burdens. They stayed tethered to their homelands through their spiritual practices and ancestral giftings and wisdoms. They remained open to each other and created spaces where joy was in abundance, joy was the glue that held everything together and joy was what fueled their endurance. Pola's story also taught me that the path of faith is never straight. There are times when we will get lost but we are never too far from our ancestors. The inner warrior spirit is what kept Pola physically alive but it was the process of opening her heart to her newfound family that ultimately allowed her to usher in a new future & mend the broken parts of her heart. Thanks to @amistadbooks @bibliolifestyle for the gifted copy.

A Woman of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa is a stunning historical fiction that will stay with me for years to come.This is the unforgettable story of a woman taken from her home in Africa and enslaved into the Puerto Rican slave trade. The events, experiences, losses, unspeakable pain, and horrific experiences that Polita (Pola) is forced to undergo are heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, but also just as important is her resilience, response, courage, and strength. Her story helps shed light on just some of the atrocities that took place to so many innocent victims that were forced into the slave trade. It is so important to never forget. The author does an amazing job painting the landscapes, narrative, emotions, and the psychological and physical pain that was experienced by Pola and those surrounding her. This is a book that all should read and one that I will remember for years to come. 5/5 stars enthusiastically Thank you NG and Amistad for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/12/22.

A Woman of Endurance starts off with Pola's story as a slave. From the coast of Africa to the plantations of Puerto Rico, Pola's life has not been easy. Used as a "brood mare" at her previous plantation, Pola decides to take her own life. However, she is discovered, beaten within an inch of her life, and sold to a new patron. She recovers in the new plantation's infirmary, but has closed herself off, emotionally and physically. She goes through the motions of living, but maintains a chip on her shoulder and carries her anger like a badge of honor. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Written with such passion and feeling, I was transported to the Hacienda along with Pola. While the story itself was amazing, I found the chapter divisions a little confusing at first. However, as the story went on, the events became clearer and everything fell into place. I loved the strength of Pola's character, the truth behind her anger and personality, and the love she eventually learns to feel for those around her. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a story of redemption, healing, and the power of friendship.

This was an amazing, harrowing, surprising read. Pola's story is beautifully crafted. Highly recommend!

A Woman of Endurance By Dahlma Llanos-FigueroaA novel about slavery in Puerto Rico. Pola is an enslaved African woman who goes through brutal, traumatic experiences when she tries to escape from a plantation where slave breeding is practiced. Being a slave narrative, this book is not all fun and games but it is also not all about trauma, there is love, protection, family and unusual alliances covered in this novel. This is the second book in the series by author Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, the first, Daughters of the Stone, is written from a different point of view but about the same people.I read this with the @readsoullit bookclub and even though I hadn’t read the first book, I was able to fully understand this one so it is more like a stand alone book than a sequel. I will definitely be reading Daughters of the Stone soon though. The writing style is really good, I especially love the little sections we had from the POV of one of the characters who was falling in love with Pola, he spoke directly to the reader about his feelings and his musings were always a welcome distraction from the trauma on the pages. There are a lot of Spanish words and phrases in this book, they do not remove from the understanding of a non Spanish speaker like me but would really add value to someone learning to speak SpanishI loved reading this book and loved loved loved discussing it with Didi @browngirlreading and the ladies in the @readsoullit bookclub especially since The author kindly graced us with her presence and stayed with us for 2 hours!! Thank you @dahlmallanosfigueroa and Didi!!While you’re here, can you take a couple of seconds to appreciate the cover photograph by Fabiola Jean-Louis? It’s gorgeous. I did a hybrid read of this book and the audio narration by Tracey Leigh was exquisite.

Reading about the enslavement of Africans is such a hard thing to do whether fiction or non fiction, but it’s something that I endure because I learn more about my ancestors, my community, and myself. I appreciate this story because there are little to no fictional stories on the lives of enslaved Africans in Puerto Rico.Though I enjoyed reading this overall, there were times when I felt like the dialogue was too modern for the time that the story was written. There was an instant where 2 ladies were arguing and one proclaims, “you’ve got the wrong one!” Though this may have been something said during the late 19th century, it struck me as odd because I’ve never read dialogue like this during this time period in other novels. There were plot lines that I feel like were dropped and rushed, but not enough that they took away from the narrative.Even though this wasn’t a book that I couldn’t put down, it was still a good novel.

Exceptional! One of the best books I've read all year. This author has a gift for storytelling. You will find your imagination painting her words into the very pictures her writing describes. Everything is perfect in this story, from character development to crisp narrative -- it just all flows. Put this on your list of must reads and buy it when it is released! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow 😭 this has to be one of the most powerful historical fictions I’ve read in a minute. What a great way to start off BHM 🖤

Tough read. There are parts that while not graphic, the writing infers the abuse. It is one instance after another. And while this reflects a Puerto Rican slave, the abuse is familiar to me from other nonfiction and historical fiction books.The synopsis says it all. I found myself conflicted with the ending, and days later I'm still wondering how the ending would be if this were a history book. Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review A Woman of Endurance.

This is Dahlma Llanos-Figuerora’s second novel. It is a companion book to her first, Daughters of the Stone. Some of the settings of both books are similar but the characters and focus of the books are different. The focus of this one is the main character, Pola. She is an enslaved woman on the island of Puerto Rico. We witness the hardships of her life as well as her joys.The author’s use of description quickly wraps the reader in the places, people and happenings of Puerto Rico during times of enslavement. The themes and character development lead to great discussion with @readsoullit book club. Readers of historical fiction and Caribbean fiction will enjoy this book. The audio book is excellent as well and is read by Tracey Leigh.

Right from the first chapter, I was hooked. The author grabs your attention with an intense beginning that’ll have you hooked on the storyline and the main character. Right from the start, I had such a strong connection with the MC, Pola - she is fierce and strong. Pola was born a free woman in Africa until she was stolen from her village and forced into slavery. Once she arrived in Puerto Rico, she was then forced to be a breeding slave. The grief, pain, and sorrow that Pola went through was unimaginable. However, even through all the pain and grief, people came into Pola’s life and showed her love and healing. Ohh this book was just absolutely amazing. I felt all the emotions while reading it. A Woman of Endurance is not talked about enough, I haven’t seen many reviews on it. Everyone needs to get this book and read it asap! And no, I don’t mean let it sit on your tbr shelf for months! This is that book you gotta read as soon as you get it ♥️

Harrowing, haunting, healing.Spectacular read, I don't think I will ever be the same after experiening this book. An untold story of the intercontinental slave trade, specifically the one that stopped in Puerto Rico. Its so raw and evokes all these feelings in me. I highly recommend.

"Your body is only a vessel. Your essence is inviolate. It is only when you give up your soul that you are lost." A Woman of Endurance. A Woman of Endurance ~ A Novel ~ by Dahlma LLanos-Figueroa is a testament to the Enslaved African Puerto Rican Ancestors. Dahlma is an obinrin itan in her own right. This book is the second in a non-sequential series. A very intriguing and well-researched story depicting the lives of enslaved women during the 19th century on 1836-1850 Haciendas across Puerto Rico. Dahlma's first book, The Daughters of the Stone introduced us to one of the minor characters that now has a major role in A Woman of Endurance. This is a historical fictional story of an enslaved community that exuded resilience and survival. They became family and supported each other in many ways. Told from a predominantly female narrative, these women were ultimately the backbone of the Haciendas, holding on tightly to their native culture and history. I kept hearing, ‘they can take all that they can from you but, can’t take away what’s in your heart’. Significantly, paramount, giving life, eloquently transcending place and time blurring the distinction between fiction and non-fiction resonates throughout this story. Pola, born Keera of the Yoruba tribe in West Africa was kidnapped and brought to Puerto Rico via the Transatlantic Enslavement Trade. Keera like so many others before and after her would be stripped of her true identity, forced to become something else; a breeding mare to produce other Beautiful Black Lives that would be nothing more than a commodity to the Plantation owners. "!Apunta tu` ahi`! La negra Pola, now the property of Don Sicayo Duchesne, master of Hacienda Paraiso. Next!’. Keera had a gift of knowing through the sense of touch. 'Her sense of touch made her much more vulnerable than her body.' This would be a blessing and a curse. Pola's horrific journey made her weary with pain and grief, but it would not be her demise. Loss gave birth to relinquishing grief to embrace love and acceptance. The cover art is of a beautiful woman looking at a well-known piece of art of an enslaved man exhibiting the brutality he endured. The brutality is also a part of the design on the dress or can be an outline of the scars under the dress. These are scars, deep wounds caused by a cancer better known as slavery. Throughout the story, Keera (Pola) would encounter various types of cancers (human, mental, emotional & physical) that left scars and unassailable grief. “Only by releasing the pain will you keep it from killing you.” Thera are several profound statements throughout the book that grabbed me and had me reflecting on life. A Woman of Endurance is nothing less than a masterpiece that will provoke the reader’s sensory stimuli, giving a broader representation of the reality of enslaved lives. This varied cast of complex characters will take you on their lives journey experiencing deep sorrow and joy. Truly a captivating story, filled with meaning that denotes what a classic would be. I definitely must commend the narrator, Tracy Lay for doing an outstanding job with the audio version of this book. If you have not read / listened to this book yet, consider it a must read and rush to get it. There is a South African word "Sankofa" meaning "We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today. Reading Woman of Endurance is reminiscent of Sankofa.

“To be black and a slave and be born in this place is to know nothing but darkness. To be black and a slave who remembers the time before, is to carry a double wound, living in the darkness while constantly remembering the light. This warrior woman is wounded, lost, and still struggling against the dark. The light, not yet gone, still flickers in her eyes.”Wow! Thank you to my friend @hillysreads for encouraging me to read this powerful book! The full story of Pola, a woman born free, abducted, brutally beaten, then forced to be a breeding slave in Puerto Rico is as horrific as it sounds. But it is also hopeful. It showcases the full depth of the human spirit. And all the ways love can show up to heal and restore you. As we follow Pola’s journey through childhood, motherhood, womanhood, friendship, and love we see the portrait of a full life. The beauty of her childhood. The horror of her abduction. The sadness of her captivity. The hope of new friendships. How even in grief there is joy to be found. How life continues after death. “Remember the time before the hurting, for that’s where the healing lives. Find the joy of the before and know you can find it again. You have a big heart and there are many paths to healing.” This historical fiction is one of the BEST I have read in awhile and a unique perspective. The story highlights the power of friendship, found family, and community despite inhumane conditions. That no matter what happens to a body the soul cannot be taken. Not to be missed and perfect for fans of The Yellow Wife or The Exiles. If you want to see more of what I'm reading each day, follow me on my BookstagramTo watch my monthly updates and author chats, check out my Book Tube channelTo read my in depth reviews and see author Q&A's, head to my blogAll audio books are from Libro FM to support my local bookstore, The Book Bar in Denver.

This is a tough read - as one might expect of a novel centered on an enslaved woman's experience in Puerto Rico - and yet I found it to also be a quick, compelling book. Pola is indeed a woman of endurance: she endures tragedy, brutality, and ultimately, love. An excellent, if difficult, book to read.