Meet Addy

I have been reading the American Girl books to Sophie each night as her Good Night book. We are them in historical order. We recently started the next American Girl which is Addy. She is the African American Slave girl living on a plantation in South Carolina. I read the first two chapters a few nights ago and Sophie was a little scared by the descriptions of slave life and then especially by Addy's family being split up and part sold to another owner.
I admit it is hard to read such things. And we discussed a little more about slavery and remembered our studies about the underground railroad we did with our FIAR unit on "Follow the Drinking Gourd" . But last night I read the next two chapters and I almost couldn't make it through the last few paragraphs. I don't know if it was just the emotion causing hormones that course through my body right now, but I was choked up. The Mother having to leave her one year old daughter on the plantation when Addy and her Mother run away to head north just struck an emotional cord. The baby would be heavy to carry and may make noise so they had to leave her behind. My voice got all shaky as I read the mother tell Addy this is what the plan was. I had to pause often in order to maintain composure while the story went on to describe Addy and her Mom sleeping for the last time with the little sister knowing they were going to leave her behind the next day.

I have never had this problem reading any of other American Girl books. I am sure it is because I am a mom and hate to think of ever having to leave any my children. Sophie didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. At least she didn't seemed to be. she didn't even comment about my reading.

The stories are usually pretty simple and episodic and not so emotionally charged. I hope I can make it through the rest of this book and the rest of the series.