Libertie

“Libertie” by Kaitlyn Greenidge follows a young black girl, born in freedom and raised in Brooklyn. Though the threat of slavery is far from over. In fact the threat looms on Libertie's very doorstep. As a young child Libertie witnesses what she believe to be her mother raising a man from the dead. What Libertie later learns is that this method of making people appear dead and transporting them in coffins to her mother's homestead in Brooklyn, is a part of the underground railroad, dedicated to getting the enslaved out.

The night Libertie witnesses her first "raising" is the night her education at her mother's side beings. Libertie's mother is a practicing physician. She was able to attend medical school by passing for white by name until it was too later to kick her out. Now Libertie's mother serves her community as a doctor, and begins training Libertie as her apprentice. 

While her mother makes all the plans, deciding what tasks Libertie will learn and excel in, enrolling her into college and shipping her off to learn. Communicating only in medical journals and papers, turning their whole relationship into that of colleagues. Libertie dreams of the ability to make her own decisions.

Her desperation for a life of her own, coupled with her inability to say no to her Mama, the fear of disappointing her mother; leads Libertie into another life that she also does not want. She marries a young man who is preparing to return to Haiti after learning new medical practices in the states. They travel to Haiti and Libertie learns that she can't always do what everyone else wants, that hte only way to be truly happy, to be truly free is to do what is right for her. 

"Libertie" is a beautiful tale of a mother's dreams for her daughter, a daughter's desire to make her mother proud and earn her love while also following her own path. it's a story about what it takes to discover who you are, to accept what you really want and to have the courage to follow it.

This one slapped a little harder for me, I'm a born people pleaser. I struggle immensely with conflict and with exerting my own wishes. I don't want to inconvenience anyone, I don't want any to be upset with me...ever. Obviously that is an unrealistic explanation. It's also not a healthy way of life. Following Libertie through her struggles I was reminded over and over again that we have to assert for ourselves, we have to stand up, we have to say no and think about what we really want in life, not what other people expect or have assumed. 

I was a little lost during the story at some points, not about what was happening in the moment in the book, but where the book was going...I did not expect the ending, and I think that was the point. To give you that little shock at the end, that little blatant reminder to take care of you and to remember to take your own needs and wishes into consideration. 

Libertie should have advocated for herself, but her mother and her husband both took advantage of her in my position. They expected her to be the perfect little puppet. Do what they say and not demand more. That she was lucky to have the life she had. She was lucky in that time to not be a slave, to be allowed into medical school, to be fed and housed and clothed. But does that really mean she shouldn't ask for or ever need more? Freedom isn't only being told you're free, freedom is having the option and the space to make your own choices, Libertie wasn't free until the end of the novel in my opinion. she wasn't free until she demanded the space to make her own choices when no one gave her that space. 

This novel was good, and anyone in need of a kick in the pants reminder to advocate for themselves and not just everyone else should read it. It also portrays an interesting picture that I haven't seen portrayed too many times, the life of a woman who wasn't born a slave, who is free but still surrounded by the impact of slavery.