Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Every year, the 8th graders in my school read Copper Sun by Sharon Draper in their social studies classes, and every year, they rave about it.  This seems to be one of the few novels that captures everyone's attention.  Boys, girls, those who love to read, and those who hate to read all seem to fall under its spell.  Since this historical fiction novel about the slave trade fits in well with my reading theme for the month, I figured that it was finally time I read it for myself.

Copper Sun is a historical fiction novel set in both Africa and America (or, more accurately, the British colony of Carolina) in 1738.  It follows the story of Amari, an African teenager who is captured by slave traders during an attack on her village.  She watches the murders of her mother, father and little brother before being taken and sold as a slave.  After suffering the horrors of crossing the ocean on a slave ship, she is sold to a rice plantation in Carolina.  At her new home, she meets Polly, a white indentured servant around her own age.  The two girls form a friendship while enduring countless indignities and abuses at the hands of their masters.  Together, they must learn to survive and hold on to some hope that they might become free again one day.  To say any more would spoil the plot, so I will leave my summary there. 

This book was phenomenal, and it only took me a few chapters to understand why my students love it so much.  The action is fast-paced and the plot takes several dramatic twists and turns that kept me turning the pages.  At the same time, Draper doesn't skip over including the emotions and thoughts of the characters (something that I find happens often in fast-paced novels).  The development of Amari and Polly is excellent - I was easily able to empathize with the characters and often found myself imagining what I would do if I were in their places.  These girls are characters you want to root for. 

Aside from the solid writing, another point in Copper Sun's favor is that it tells the truth.  Slavery is an uncomfortable period in our history.  It's difficult to talk about many aspects of what went on during that time period, but Draper doesn't sugar coat the facts.  Brutal beatings, continual sexual abuse and an unbelievable disregard of human life are all featured throughout the novel.  The events depicted in this story give readers a better feel for the cruelty of slavery than reading about the topic in a textbook would.  One of my students said it best when we were discussing the novel in class.  This child, who proudly states that loathes reading at every opportunity, came out and said, "It's really terrible what they did to those people."  Even though this particular student isn't one to pick up a book and empathize with it's characters, Copper Sun was able to reach him and help him understand the pain and trauma that the slaves endured.  That's very powerful.

In the back of the novel, Draper includes a long list of websites and other resources for anyone interested in learning more about slavery.  This is a helpful addition that was missing in Sold, another historical fiction work that I read this month.  I liked having a starting point for learning more about our history right at my fingertips after I finished reading.

While Copper Sun is a work of fiction, its roots in historical fact make it stand as a powerful example of how history and literature can combine to open a window into the past.  This is a book I would recommend to everyone, without reservation.  While the topic is serious and mature, it is an accurate picture of a dark time period in our history.  It is not only an entertaining and moving novel, it is an important novel.  Five stars.