Uncle Tom's Cabin

Title: Uncle Tom's Cabin
Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe
Published: 1852

I was eager to read this to find out what made it so great. Was it so well known because it was a great novel, or because of what it achieved?

Many critics called the book sentimental. Harriet Beecher Stowe obviously cared deeply about the plight of the slave, and she was motivated to change the hearts of the people in this country so that the travesty of slavery would end. Because of this, there is the temptation to go too far, sacrificing the story to make a point. There are moments where Stowe interrupts the flow of the narrative to lecture the reader, to prove a point which has already been expertly proven by what has happened in the story itself.

These moments are few, however, and only mildly annoying. The story itself is beautiful. I fell in love with some characters, was disgusted by others, and thought about them throughout the day.

This book is certainly not outdated. Although slavery has ended, there was so much to think about as I was reading it. It challenged me in many ways: The way mother my children, the way I treat others, and in my Christian walk.

This is not a light read, but I would assuredly read it again! This is a worthy book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!