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Title: Not for the squeamish
Review: I didn't finish this book. I couldn't. Yes, it's a sweeping epic of the type I usually enjoy, and it may have a satisfying conclusion, but I found the violence far too traumatic for me. There's one particularly brutal rape scene involving a child, written in extensive and graphic detail -- I am still (nearly a year later) having nightmares about it. You might have a tougher stomach than me or a greater tolerance for a "realistic" portrait of slave-owning America. If so, enjoy. Personally, I'd rather stick with Into the Wilderness (Sara Donati) or Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) -- same style and time period, still gripping, still a bit gritty, but books that are fun to read and re-read.
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