The Cursed Ground is the second book in the Zora and Me series, a fictionalized account of the childhood of African American author Zola Neale Hurston (1891-1960). Hurston was a writer and anthropologist, writing on racial issues in the American South and Haitian voodoo. T.R. Simon creates a world of her childhood in the early 1900s, where Zora and her best friend, Carrie Brown, live in Eatonville, Fla. Eatonville was one of the first all-black incorporated towns in the United States.

I have not read the first book in this series, but The Cursed Ground is a wonderful, bittersweet and captivating story about racial issues and the aftermath of slavery. The book alternates between Zora's time and 50 years before, telling the story of a young slave named Lucia. The tale begins when Zora and Carrie discover a secret about Mr. Polk, the town mute. Turns out that the mystery of how the mute man can actually speak is part of a bigger secret....one that might threaten the future of Eatonville.

I loved this book! The storytelling is vibrant and emotional. The characters are beautifully developed and striking. I had never heard of Zola Neale Hurston before I read this book. But I'm definitely going to read about her life and learn more. I'm on the waiting list at the library for one of her books, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Lovely book! I will definitely read more of this series!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground
T. R. Simon
2018

This is the sequel to Zora and Me.
Carrie and Zora are now 13 or 14 years old and have stumbled upon another mystery, one that dregs up the dark and dangerous past of slavery. This book blew me away this week. The first book was wonderful - this one even more so. The author expertly shows the horror of a previously-free child made a slave in pre-Civil War Florida and the horror that Carrie and Zora experienced when they were confronted by the memories of slavery that had been like something put of a history book to them, until now.

5 stars. ( )

I really enjoyed this book which tells two intertwined stories. The first is during slavery (1855) when two girls have their friendship forever changed when they come to Florida from the Caribbean & go from being best friends & playmates to owner & owned. The second story is a fictionalized Zora neal Hurston as a child in1903 living in Eatonville Florida - the first incorporated colored town in America. But being in Eatonville doesn't mean its citizens are free of racism or the lasting effects of slavery's past. ( )

The Carrie/Zora portion of the story likely would have been a richer experience had I read the first book in this series with the introduction of their characters and their friendship, otherwise, there’s no problem reading this as a standalone.

The Cursed Ground is told in dual timelines, 1903 and 1855. The start of each chapter makes it clear which era you’re in so there’s never any confusion.

I enjoyed how zealous and curious Zora (based on real-life author Zora Neale Hurston) is, and twelve year old Carrie’s burgeoning feelings for her friend Teddy (there isn’t a big romance so readers not into that need not worry), felt realistic with the mix of embarrassment and excitement bubbling inside her. I also liked that the adult characters rarely talk down to these girls, if I were a kid reader, it’s an aspect of the storytelling I’d appreciate, especially when it comes to the very necessary conversations about race.

I didn’t feel like I got to know best friends Carrie and Zora quite as well as I did the other heroine, Lucia in 1855, though that’s understandable given that while Carrie and Zora are very concerned about what’s going on in their small community and bravely insert themselves into the mystery, they’re still somewhat apart from it, whereas with Lucia, the reader is right there with her as she endures sudden enslavement with the cruelty and all too few moments of tenderness that follow, as well as the complicated turns a close relationship takes, so Lucia’s timeline can’t help but feel more personal, more involving.

With slavery and a couple animal situations, this is sometimes an emotionally difficult read as it should be given the subject matter, don’t be surprised if it elicits a tear or two.

I received this book through a giveaway. ( )

Literary Merit: Excellent
Characterization: Excellent
Recommended: Yes
Level: Middle and High School

I absolutely loved this historical fiction imagining of Zora Neale Hurston's life as a child in Eatonville, Florida. Readers are transported between Zora's 1903 Eatonville and Lucia's (a slave) 1855 life on a plantation. The powerful story is told through the two narratives of these strong female characters.

It is a fantastic introduction to Zora Neale Hurston for middle grade readers. It is also a tremendous companion to Hurston's work "Their Eyes Were Watching God," which is a required text in many high schools.

Even though the story is tough to stomach, I'm glad to have read it. I am a reader of Hurston's writing, so I appreciate this imagining of what her life may have been. ( )