The only mention of Jude in Nova Scotia's official history relates to
her death: a slave-owning family was brought to trial for her murder in
1801. They were acquitted despite overwhelming evidence that they were
guilty. Sharon Robart-Johnson pays tribute to such archival glimpses of
enslaved people by re-creating the fullness of sisters Jude and Diana's
survival, emphasizing their joys alongside their hardship. She stories
their movements through the U.S. to Nova Scotia, Canada, with the
arrival of the United Empire Loyalists in 1783. As a child, Jude is sold
away and then, by a lucky turn of fate, reunited with her fiercely
loving family. Jude's experiences harden her into a rebel who resists
injustice without heeding consequences, and after her death, Diana is
left alone to deal with racist and sexual violence.
Through Robart-Johnson's research, we experience nineteenth-century Nova
Scotia, when political debates about abolishing slavery were just
beginning to emerge. Through Robart-Johnson's creativity, we enter the
historical fiction of Jude and Diana and their strong familial bonds,
each character developed with nuance and care. While chronicling the
cruelty they endured, Robart-Johnson's storytelling powerfully honours
their humour, strength, and shining dignity.
