Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
Queen Sugar: A Novel
Unavailable
Queen Sugar: A Novel
Unavailable
Queen Sugar: A Novel
Audiobook13 hours

Queen Sugar: A Novel

Written by Natalie Baszile

Narrated by Miriam Hyman

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

A mother-daughter story of reinvention-about an African American woman who unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana

Why exactly Charley Bordelon's late father left her eight hundred sprawling acres of sugarcane land in rural Louisiana is as mysterious as it was generous. Recognizing this as a chance to start over, Charley and her eleven-year-old daughter, Micah, say good-bye to Los Angeles.

They arrive just in time for growing season but no amount of planning can prepare Charley for a Louisiana that's mired in the past: as her judgmental but big-hearted grandmother tells her, cane farming is always going to be a white man's business. As the sweltering summer unfolds, Charley must balance the overwhelming challenges of her farm with the demands of a homesick daughter, a bitter and troubled brother, and the startling desires of her own heart.

Penguin has a rich tradition of publishing strong Southern debut fiction-from Sue Monk Kidd to Kathryn Stockett to Beth Hoffman. In Queen Sugar, we now have a debut from the African American point of view. Stirring in its storytelling of one woman against the odds and initimate in its exploration of the complexities of contemporary southern life, Queen Sugar is an unforgettable tale of endurance and hope.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 6, 2014
ISBN9780698149403
Unavailable
Queen Sugar: A Novel
Author

Natalie Baszile

Natalie Baszile is the author of the novel Queen Sugar, which was a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2014, longlisted for the Crooks Corner Southern Book Prize, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and adapted for television by writer/director Ava DuVernay and co-produced by Oprah Winfrey for OWN. Baszile holds a M.A. in Afro-American Studies from UCLA and is a graduate of Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers. She lives in San Francisco.

Related to Queen Sugar

Related audiobooks

African American Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Queen Sugar

Rating: 3.9248365535947713 out of 5 stars
4/5

153 ratings22 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile tells the story of a family with tenderness and love. In many ways, it is a typical story: family history causes present feuds as they struggle to revive the family business. But the setting in the Louisiana sugar cane fields and the relationships that develop between Charley, the young widow who returns to the family farm with her daughter, and her farm managers brings interest and some complexity. She learns to trust them and, eventually, herself. I haven't seen the television show but there is plenty of drama in the book to sustain a series, I think. The books ends but the story could go on. I may look it up when I'm needing to do some binge watching.I don't use a rating scale but if I did this would be a 3.85 or so: it wasn't the best book I ever read but I'm not sorry I took the time to read it. I'm going to donate it to my friend who runs a little free library at a middle school.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One adult child inherits a sugarcane field. Her stepbrother got nothing. He always got the short end after his stepsister was born. It's just not fair; she owes him. But the inheritance came with strings, a scrambled mess of strings almost guaranteeing failure.I heard about this book and put it on my to-read list before I knew it was also a TV series and saw the ads for that. Based on those ads, it looked too melodramatic, too soap opera for me, but I still took the audio book when it became available at my library.I'm glad I did. The book was really quite good. It was dramatic but not melodramatic. I learned about sugar cane, and I cared about the fictional characters, about the southern setting. Without spoiling the story, there was one incident that was quite dramatic, but unfortunately, all too believable. This was quite an engaging story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A novel before it became the latest TV collaboration between Ava DuVernay and Oprah, this story closely resembles the 1984 Sally Field movie Places in the Heart, also about a woman struggling to make a go of a farm, but in this case, with a mostly African American cast. Charlotte (Charly), widowed and living in LA with her young daughter, inherits a sugar cane plantation in bayou country, Louisiana. She's determined to make a go of it despite the pressure of an entailment that will take it away from her and give it to charity if she can't make it profitable. Charley also must contend with her half brother Ralph Angel, who is an embittered rage-filled junkie who answers their grandmother's summons to also return and help out. The characters are well drawn and the racism that still exists continues to rear its hideous head. Ralph Angel is such a complex counterpart to the well-meaning Charly, and the dynamics of the large extended Creole family are a real treat for the reader.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Recently widowed, Charley Bordelon faced grief once again after her father died and left this Los Angeles native a sugar plantation in his native Louisiana. She and her 13-year old daughter move to Louisiana to take over the farm without having any knowledge of running a sugar plantation. There she faces the trials and tribulations of the trade while trying to resuscitate a neglected farm. The plot thickens when Charlie's half brother and his son arrive. He is unemployed and did not inherit the sugar plantation.The writing was beautiful and it really gave the reader a sense of place. I would love a story about a woman trying to beat the odds, however, it was difficult for me to get engaged with the story. The main character was likeable and a lot of the elements for creating drama were included, but I found difficulty being truly engaged with the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great familiarity with the rich culture of south Louisiana. Wonderful narrator
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent story filled with rich detail and an absolutely fabulous narration. One of newly favorite audio books! Some commenters mentioned the length of the book or listed too much detail as a negative, but I loves ever second and welcomed the details. I felt like I was in the sugar cane fields while cane was being planted; in the room listening to daily conversations. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience and I would listen to it again.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a decent book. I give it a 3.5. It was really long. The story of Charlie and her family was interesting. The fact that Charlie's father gave her so much land and she knew nothing about farming says great things about the faith her father had in her and the love he had for her. Ms. Honey was a sweet old lady, makes me wish my grandma was still alive. OMG, that Hollywood was a sweetheart. Ralph Angel's story was unfortunate and sad. I never would have imagined the ending. Where there is a will, there is a way.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good story . I found it interesting and compelling. Good read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This novel is centered around family - after her father passes away, Charley inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana and with grim determination, she sets out to farm it. Charley's brother, Ralph Angel, is resentful of her inheritance without fully understanding the stipulations that accompanied it. As this book progressed, I liked Ralph Angel less and less and wished Charley would disengage with him completely. Overall, this novel had some great moments, but the pace felt too slow at times too.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is very descriptive of the ins and outs of sugar cane farming. It's pretty full of struggles from beginning to end. I liked it, but I don't recommend it for anyone looking for a pick-me-up read.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Charley's father dies and upon settling his estate, she finds he has sold all of his California income property and purchased a Sugar Cane farm with the stipulation that she farm it or turn it over to charity.Charley heads back to LA with her daughter Micha (who is a rude spoiled kid) and works to turn the farm into a profitable business,Her brother gets into trouble (as always) and heads to LA as well...Charley's Grandmother forces Charley to hire him and his unrepentant mean attitude, jealousy, & nastiness just causes his family even more problems.The ending is very improbable and most unbelievable.The book had a good premise, but it was flat and the characters unlikable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5. Feel like I know enough about sugarcane to work it one day. Dragged in some places, and am slightly annoyed with Baszile and her creation of Ralph Angel. I wish she'd fleshed out Remy more. Overall, interesting novel.

    Also took me forever to finish. Docked a star for that.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wonderful story! Exceptional narratorI’m looking forward to reading more of her books
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this first novel. Charley, who lives in California, moves to Louisiana to run a sugar cane farm that she has inherited from her father. When she arrives with her daughter Micah she discovers that the farm is in bad shape. Shortly thereafter her no good brother arrives and wants a part of the inheritance. She refuses and throughout the rest of the novel I am waiting for Ralph Angel to do something violent to Charley in order to get even. The characters are nicely drawn and while there is dysfunction, it isn't above the realm of believability.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This combines two great features, southern literature and a journey that transforms the protagonist. Inheriting a sugar cane plantation from her father, bring Charlie and her daughter to rural Louisiana, quite a departure from wealthy Los Angeles. Here they discover that prejudice is still alive in more covert ways than before. Charlie discovers that growing sugar cane is hard work with small rewards. But she finds the biggest rewards in her new community and friends and family she has.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My husband and I drove to Louisiana last fall to celebrate my retirement. It was a great time to be there as the weather was warm but not too hot and not too humid. We spent some time in Cajun country and saw quite a few sugarcane fields being harvested. Often we were behind a truck transporting cane to the mill and saw the leaves and dust flying off the load. I wondered then if it was hard to grow sugarcane. When I saw this book featured as being written by a young author to watch I knew I had to read it if only to find out about growing sugarcane. I got that and so much more. Charlotte Bordelon was born and raised in California but her father was from Louisiana. He couldn't wait to get out of there when he finished high school but he must have never been able to quite shake his roots. When he died of cancer Charlotte (Charley) learned he had sold all of his California real estate and bought a sugarcane farm close to where he grew up. And that is what he left her in his will. Charley couldn't even sell the farm as it was held in trust on the stipulation that family farm the land. So Charley left her dead end job, packed up her Volvo and took her daughter, Micah, across country to Louisiana without knowing the first thing about sugarcane farming. There was supposed to be a manager taking care of things but it turned out he had found a job on an oil platform and resigned the first day she got there. The farm had been neglected too so there was a lot of work to do to get it into shape, work that Charley had no idea how to do. Since the growing season was already in full swing there were no experienced managers to be hired. What does a black woman from California do when facing those dilemmas? No, she does not get back into her Volvo and drive west; she buckles down and tries harder. Her tenacity wins her respect and help from some of the locals and she looks to be beating the odds. Then her half-brother shows up with his son and asks to be let in on the action. The problem is that Ralph Angel is a drug addict with anger management problems and no useable skills even though he studied to be an engineer. Between bad weather, money problems and Ralph Angel's anger the summer takes a downturn. I really felt for Charley; as a farmer's daughter I know how unpredictable earning a living on a farm can be. I can't imagine taking on a farm on a shoestring budget with no experience. Sure she got help from some unexpected quarters but she did a lot of hard work herself. Natalie Baszile has developed a great role model for black women in this book. I will certainly be looking for more from her.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An education in so many ways---excellent audio, read by Miriam Hyman. The author balances so many things in what comes across as more of a true story than a novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Queen Sugar is a strong debut novel for author, Natalie Baszile. The story is intriguing because of the unusual characters and the lovely setting. It immerses you in a different place and introduces a host of characters and weaves an interesting tale.She did a fine job describing the Louisiana Bayous. It was evident that the author did 11 years of research. It made this book an interesting read. I enjoyed the descriptions of farm life, but I also enjoyed the experience and detail about the sugar cane business, it added a more realistic life to the story.What is fabulous is when you pick up a book and learn something while being entertained. Queen Sugar does just that. I love a novel that is dotted with some historical people or facts or events. She injected some history into the novel, such as the Battle of Irish Bend and the interjection of ragtime Buddy Bolden and. I knew nothing of his legend until I read about him in this novel and did further research.I found myself rooting for Charley to beat the odds throughout the story, and connected with her struggles and pain. My life proves somewhat parallel to Charley’s. Me personally, coming from a major city in Michigan to a rural town in Alabama. My husband and I are starting a farm on land inherited by his mother’s ancestors. I found a personal connection to Charley and its characters.When Charley Bordelon is not dealing with the day to day activities of the farm, she spends her time trying to understand the people in her life, especially her daughter and her brother Ralph Angel. Ralph Angel left a history of confusion and mayhem. So, when Ralph Angel eventually goes out to find employment, this part of the book is very humorous. There’s a bit of romance and some colorful and opinionated characters. Drama and suspense is also weaved into the story line. The characters are interesting and the descriptions are beautiful… the sky had a hem!I really can see this story as a movie. I'm looking forward to Ms. Baszile's next novel!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    From the amazon.com book description: When Charley unexpectedly inherits eight hundred acres of sugarcane land, she and her eleven-year-old daughter say goodbye to smoggy Los Angeles and head to Louisiana. She soon learns, however, that cane farming is always going to be a white man’s business. As the sweltering summer unfolds, Charley struggles to balance the overwhelming challenges of a farm in decline with the demands of family and the startling desires of her own heart

    My reactions
    I was introduced to this book as a result of seeing the author at a literary luncheon event. I liked her presentation, so got the book. There is a good premise here but Baszile’s debut work didn’t completely capture my attention, and I think it has some problems.

    I wanted to like Charley and, basically, I did. But I had to agree when her grandmother said, “you ARE whining.” I get that Baszile was showing the many obstacles put in Charley’s path, and trying to show that she was working hard to overcome them, but I felt she focused too much attention on her becoming a cane farmer. I would have liked to have more attention on the relationship between Charley and the other women in her life – her daughter, her mother, her grandmother, her aunt. And show her interacting more with the community.

    I thought Ralph Angel was a complete distraction and not really necessary to the main plot of a women finding her roots and her new strength. He seemed to be there just to provide additional tension in the family and a convenient final challenge for Charley to overcome. Interestingly enough, when he first appeared in the novel, I pictured him as a white man … and despite my reading and knowing he was Charley’s brother, I kept picturing him as a white man. Certainly made for a different picture in my head than what the author probably intended.

    The plot moved along fairly well and I certainly learned much about cane farming. I thought her descriptions of the landscape, the heat, the bugs, the back-breaking work gave a real sense of the place. But I wasn’t captivated and it took me over a week to read it.

    Final verdict: an okay debut, but nothing special.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this novel about a young widow who inherits a sugarcane farm and moves her 11yo daughter from Los Angeles to south Louisiana. I was really drawn in by the descriptive imagery of the people and food and scenery of the place I grew up, and appreciated the dynamic of a modern “city girl” juxtaposed against the backdrop of cane farming, which is difficult, physical work that honestly hasn’t changed too much over the last few centuries. The story started off a little slow, and there were a few “head-scratchers” with some of the characters and some clunky plot points, but the story is very interesting and the themes of perseverance and determination are strong and consistent throughout. Pretty impressive effort for a debut novel.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Queen SugarI enjoyed reading this book about a multi-genrational family living in New Orleans and the dynamics of running a sugar cane farm. Queen Sugar has a cast of many likeable characters, including the widowed Charley and her often-neglected daughter, Micah; the family matriarch, Miss Honey; and, Charley’s two unlikely partners on her farm. While I felt there were some issues that were left hanging, I love books about farming, hard work, the South, and just rewards so this was right up my alley! For a debut novel, this was a very well-written, enjoyable read and I look forward to future works by Ms. Baszile.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have to say that I enjoyed this novel. This is another book with a strong female character taking the lead. It also contains a lot of character growth and the bonding between family members. I found the characters likeable and I felt the book had a strong story line. I did not find it a slow read as a couple of other reviewers did. I enjoy stories about farming. They give me a nostalgic feeling. One reader/reviewer felt that the book should have included the use of modern electronics and technology. I disagree. I think that the book might be better placed in the 70s to 80s time span or expound on the poverty issue and lack of cellphones. I think the author could easily resolve this problem. I don’t feel that it detracted from the novel. It is a technicality issue and this is fiction. I feel it gives a sense of the uncomplicated backwater life of the not so wealthy. I feel that it is still a really great book and that Natalie shows great promise as a writer. I think she is one to watch for. This is a great debut book! I give this book 4 out of 5 stars