“Yonder”: Another Chapter In America’s Shameful Past

by Fran Withrow 09.2022

A book that keeps me up at night and consumes my thoughts during the day is one I want to share with you. “Yonder” is just such a book. Author Jabari Asim has added a compelling fictional account of the dark era of slavery to the growing assemblage of novels set during that time period. I read as many as I can, because each author gives me new insight about this shameful period in American history and how it affects today’s society.

“Yonder” tells the story of a group of Black people who call themselves the Stolen. They are forced to toil for the Thieves (White enslavers Cannonball Greene and his wife, Screech Owl) at Placid Hall in the American South. Greene and his wife make life miserable and dangerous for the Stolen on their property. Their cruelty and disregard for the enslaved people is cringe-worthy.

Several of Placid Hall’s Stolen emerge as engaging main characters. William sees such a traumatic event as a child it affects the rest of his life. Margaret, his true love, lives on another of his enslaver’s three farms. It is with difficulty that William is able to see her. Cato watches helplessly as his beloved Iris is carted away by another Thief who desires her. Despite his heartbreak, Cato later exhibits incredible courage to protect an innocent woman, and eventually falls in love with Pandora. Little Zander sees angels and thinks he can fly.

When a preacher offers Margaret, William, Cato, Pandora, and Little Zander a way yonder to freedom, they take the chance. My heart was in my mouth as I read about them walking stealthily through the woods in the dark, totally dependent on strangers, knowing the paddy rollers would be after them. It was a constant gamble in deciding who to trust. Asim writes artfully about how terrifying it was for these enslaved people to try to escape to freedom. In his masterful hands, I read voraciously, torn between savoring Asim’s writing and finding out if everyone survives. 

Throughout the book, the Stolen show remarkable bravery, bolstering each other through every tribulation. They quickly and cleverly switch between the language they use with each other and the language used when speaking with the Thieves. Thus the Thieves never realize that the Stolen are a lot more articulate than they let on. The enslaved people use a variety of tools to sustain themselves and retain hope during their suffering. For instance, they venerate their Ancestors, and the Ancestors watch over them in unexpected ways.

The writing is superb: Asim had me immediately immersed in his story and never let go until the last page was turned. This story of the Stolen, who consistently remind themselves they “come from Strong,” and that freedom will come “in Due Time” is a powerful chronicle of slavery. In Asim’s skillful hands, the reader is swept along, cheering for each character as they set out yonder. Will they all make it to freedom? You’ll have to read the book to find out.