book review: The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber
The backstory: The Personal History of Rachel DuPree was longlisted for the 2009 Orange Prize . The basics: Aptly titled, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree is the story of Rachel DuPree, a young black woman in Chicago (albeit a Louisiana native) who marries at the age of 25 and sets off for the Badlands of South Dakota with her new husband as a homesteader. My thoughts: I'm beginning to realize how much I love westerns. The Personal History of Rachel DuPree isn't a shoot 'em style western by any means, but it is a fascinating tale of life on the frontier. I was captivated by the DuPrees' voyage. This novel is also the story of a marriage on the frontier. It's the story of a family. Indeed, there is a certain added intrigue that Rachel and Isaac are black. The new hope of the frontier, even the inhospitable Badlands of South Dakota, is especially poignant for a black couple. Still, on the farm itself, race often becomes irrelevant: "Accidents happene...