Harper
The Blueprint
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"The Blueprint is an astounding work, an unflinching portrait of misogyny and racism in a speculative world terrifyingly close to our own. Rae Giana Rashad chronicles the generational ghosts of womanhood, and how we understand ourselves through the stories of those we come from, in a way I've never read before. A remarkable new talent, and a timeless literary voice."--Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
In the vein of Octavia E. Butler and Margaret Atwood, a harrowing novel set in an alternate United States--a world of injustice and bondage in which a young Black woman becomes the concubine of a powerful white government official and must face the dangerous consequences.
Solenne Bonet lives in Texas where choice no longer exists. An algorithm determines a Black woman's occupation, spouse, and residence. Solenne finds solace in penning the biography of Henriette, an ancestor who'd been an enslaved concubine to a wealthy planter in 1800s Louisiana. But history repeats itself when Solenne, lonely and naïve, finds herself entangled with Bastien Martin, a high-ranking government official. Solenne finds the psychological bond unbearable, so she considers alternatives. With Henriette as her guide, she must decide whether and how to leave behind all she knows.
Inspired by the lives of enslaved concubines to U.S. politicians and planters, The Blueprint unfolds over dual timelines to explore bodily autonomy, hypocrisy, and power imbalances through the lens of the nation's most unprotected: a Black girl.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780063330092
EAN:
9780063330092
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
304
Authors:
Rae Giana Rashad
Publisher:
Harper
Solenne is trapped in a world without choices, a young teenager existing in a dystopia that allows a form of modern slavery. At first her circumstances don't seem awful, living with another writer who is thoughtful of her but very oblivious to her hardships. Then she meets Bastien and becomes his property. She has all of the confusing feelings and thoughts a teenager would have. But as she grows, she decides to run and takes her first chance to go to the free state of Louisiana. It seems, however, that Bastien would chase her to the ends of the earth to reclaim his "property." While there are also "then" and "now" timelines, Solenne is also documenting the journey of her ancestor, "Henriette." For all the Truth involved in this story, it is a message of hope masterfully conveyed.
I thought the premise of this book was extremely interesting when I first picked it up, and was not disappointed as I read it. The author's diction is poetic and thoughtful. I found myself highlighting sentences that resonated with me or that just felt powerful. I know this review is vague, but that's because I don't want to spoil the story for anyone. Just buy the book guys!
Since I love reading debut authors, I was excited to read this. I went through so many emotions of grief and sadness, anger and frustration throughout the story!! And the writing was stun-ning! It felt like picking up an Octavia E. Butler novel or a Nnedi Okorafor story (both loved authors) but with a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that was all Ms. Rashad's own. This book had me in a choke hold from start to finish and I couldn't let it go!! I listened to the audiobook through Everand, and loved it so much that I bought my own hardcover!!
I found this book to be a very interesting however it was a bit confusing bouncing back-and-forth from the past to the current time… I wish there was more world building and I wish I got more information about certain characters.
“Black girls are not parts created from perceptions. We are human in a world that told us we couldn’t be”This is the story of a young girl Solenne who is basically a slave to a government official. Women in the future are told who to marry, where to work, and have chips installed tracking their every move.We also get her a piece of Henriette, her ancestor’s story from back in the day. It’s almost like her story is the guide for Solenne to be freed from bondage.I liked the Texas/Louisiana locales. I did want a bit more of Henriette’s story, which is baffling because I usually don’t prefer grueling slave scenes, but her parts were so interesting!!This futuristic dystopian world is partly set in 2030’s. The entire I read it I kept thinking about how when it comes to women’s rights, it still feels so much like the past. Has it changed much? The more things change, the more they stay the same. Significant changes have been overturned and in many areas we are back at square one. And the thought that it could be even more daunting in the future, which scares.This is not my typical read, but I’m glad I gave it a try with a booksta buddy read group. I believe what kept me going is that it was very realistic and gave a lot to think about (especially with this being an election year).
