Copper Sun
Official cover arrt
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| Author | Sharon Draper |
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| Country | United States |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
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Publication date
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2006 |
| Awards | Coretta Scott King Award |
| ISBN | 9781416953487 |
Copper Sun is a 2006 young adult novel by Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Sharon Draper. It was a National Book Award Finalist.
Contents
Characters
- Amari is a strong 15-year-old slave, and the main character who endures the horrors of slavery.
- Teenie is a motherly, strong woman who helps the children adjust to plantation life. The mother of Tidbit.
- Mrs. Derby is a sweet affectionate woman. Mr. Derby’s young, second wife. She gets pregnant by Noah, whom she really loves.
- Nathan is a kind young man who helps the children along their journey.
- Noah is a caring, strong young man who is in love with, and impregnates Ms. Derby.
- Polly is an indentured servant of Mr. Derby's who becomes the best friend of Amari. She protects Amari on their way to Fort Mose.
- Besa "Buck" is a drummer from Amari's village and her fiance who becomes enslaved after the capture.
- Clay is Mr. Derby's son who impregnates Amari. He is left tied to a tree by the children as a rattlesnake is slithering toward him.
- Mr. Derby is the slave master that passes his point of view down to his son Clay.
- Kwasi is Amari's precocious little brother who dies shortly after the massacre by getting speared in the village
- Komla Amari and Kwasi's father is the village storyteller who was murdered during the capture.
- Tidbit is an overly imaginative child. He is also the son of Teenie. He loves Hushpuppy, his dog, very much and hates the thought of parting with him.
- Afi Afi is Amaris good friend she is like a motherly figure to Amari from the boat to the new land.
Background
When Draper traveled to Ghana, West Africa, she visited the Point of No Return and the castles where thousands of slaves were kept before getting on the ship and she was inspired to write this novel.[1]
Major Themes
Copper Sun addresses issues of the African Slave Trade, slavery in America, and freedom.[2] Beverly Almond noted that the novel expresses “unimaginable hardship” and “starvation and disease”.[3] Another critic claimed that the book showed themes of "pain, hope, and determination" and "human exploitation and suffering".[4] Kirkus Reviews added the novel showed "cynicism and realistic outlook".[5]
Reception
Most critics saw Copper Sun as “unflinching and unforgettable”.[6] Another critic thought of the novel as “character driven, with a fast moving plot, and unforgettable characters”.[7] Agreeing, another critic noted that the novel was "horrific" "multi-faceted" and that "[they were] afraid to turn the page"[8]
Awards and Nominations
Sharon Drapers Copper Sun won the Coretta Scott King award in 2007.[9]
Bibliography
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References
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