In Sugar of the Crop, Sana Butler tells the story of a generation through the voices of its last surviving members. Her search for the children and grandchildren of African American slaves led her to interview those she was able to locate. Seeking first to know what set her interviewees and their parents apart from modern-day African Americans, Butler discovered a unifying thread of humanity tying together their family histories. At the start of the book, Butler believes her own stable family was somehow different from others with slave ancestors. But what emerges in the course of her book is the extraordinary work ethic and admirable role models in all the families of those she interviews.Butler’s background as a reporter comes out in her style. The book is written in a conversational tone that comes through in her interviews and in her account of her life as a modern-day African American woman. Her passion and devotion to her task of documenting a slice of history previously unknown and unlikely to be recorded again, shows in anecdotes of driving through the South, shuttling between Kentucky one week and New York City the next. Each interview raises more questions for her – what else didn’t she know, hadn’t she read, hadn’t been reported in popular media. Her process of interviewing and conducting research melds well with the analysis she provides and the broader issues she connects to – how history is written and re-written, how families have changed and stayed the same, and the lasting power of love and of human relationships.
Butler has written a fascinating and well-crafted book, essential for those interested in genealogy and oral history, and African Americans’ part in American history.
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