3.5 stars

This is a well-written example of historical fiction. It's about a topic I've never read anything about before: women being sold into the Puerto Rican slave trade. It's a difficult read at times, particularly with the author's vibrant descriptions. It's an emotional story with well-crafted characters.

Book received for free through NetGalley

Heart wrenching book but written so well. So hard to put it down. Must read.

This is an amazingly beautiful book that is as heart wrenching as it is needed. A must-read. Ms Figueroa is truly a storyteller and A Woman of Endurance will stay with you for a long time afterward.

** thank you NetGalley and Amistad Publishing for giving me an early copy in exchange for my honest review **

This was a beautiful and vibrant story, filled with descriptive passages and full of emotion. Describing the sorrow, anguish, and oppression that Pola, our main character, had to endure ( hence Woman of Endurance) she is found nearly drowning and beaten to a pulp and taken to a Hacienda where the healer helps her with her wounds, however, Pola has already been through so much that it becomes hard for her to trust anyone. She now finds herself within a slave community that although serve as workers and servants of the estate they are still given a resemblance of a life. For Pola, this is something new as she has only lived in the most deplorable conditions. Slowly and unsure Pola starts to learn that there can be some light in the midst of her dark times and will restore faith in people and herself.

The book goes back and forth from the main story giving us Pola's background, starting with being taken from her village to the cruelties she encountered on the boat to Puerto Rico and being sold to a ruthless owner where she was sexually exploited for breeding purposes. This book gives a hard look and an honest but sad view of the Slave trade of the time. The descriptions are very vivid and hard to read sometimes but it's what makes this author an excellent storyteller.

*Check trigger warnings before reading this book

Stunning historical fiction that will stay with you. This is the story of Pola's journey from her home village in Africa to being sold into the Puerto Rican slave trade. It's hard to read at times due to the subject matter but the writing is so eloquent, vivid and powerful. The author gives a realistic peek into the lives of slaves during this time period.
I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dahlma Llanos-Figuerora, and Amistad for giving me this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have just finished this book and I find myself, who has written over forty book reviews for this site in five months, speechless. A WOMAN OF ENDURANCE is a monumental accomplishment, filled with moments of despair, joy, and everything in between. Llanos-Figueroa explores the lives of enslaved people on Puerto Rican plantations in the nineteenth century through the figure of Pola, or Keena, a nuanced and complex protagonist. What I admired most about this book, among many things I admired about it, was the honesty and complexity with which Llanos-Figueroa explores the effects of cumulative trauma on Pola; the author refuses to present the romanticized vision of traumatized people which infuses so much fiction. Pola is not passive, or quiet in her suffering, or celebrated for her "resilience." Pola is melancholy, angry, confused, defiant, and scared, simultaneously terrified to connect to the people she lives among and desperate for human connection. This book will break your heart over and over again, and you will be thankful when it is done, for this book is a gift.

In this merging historical fiction Figueroa does not cease with action from the beginning to end. From the Atlantic Slave trade to the Spanish plantation land, we experience “the experience.”

The characters are real, their journey comes to life either by the image on their backs, the complexion of their skin and the fight behind their very being. We experience the strength of Pola, her tenacity, but we see different women and how they endure, how they bend and don’t break, how they are clever and how they survive.

This novel is a moving story. Moving; not only in the emotions it causes , but that it is a constant upward motion of action. This novel will leave you wanting more. Leave you pondering if the author will make a sequel. I can not put everything that came to my mind when reading this novel, but if I can used one word to describe this read it would be….. Raw.

This is @readblacknblog honest review in exchange for ARC from #netgalley. #partner

Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa writes
lyrical sentences that are meant to be savored and lingered over. The topic of her sentences, however, are decidedly less beautiful.
A Woman of Endurance tells the story of Pola—an African woman who was kidnapped and brought to Puerto Rico to work in the fields during the day, and as a breeder slave at night. This story pulls no punches with the graphic reality of life for slaves, and Llanos-Figueroa’s writing style is so vivid that you will feel as if you are right there watching these events happen.
I definitely recommend this book for all historical fiction fans, and I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more from Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa.

A Woman of Endurance publishes 4/12. Thank you @Amistad and @Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was a beautiful, moving story, and I couldn't put it down! I loved the main character. Her perseverance throughout such awful things shows such strength. There were a lot of sections of the story where it was hard to read, but it's important to remember the true struggles of others. I would highly recommend this one for historical fiction fans!

Wow! What a powerful novel. Endurance is definitely the predominant theme in this novel. The main character goes through so much and survives. She is torn away from her family and homeland, forced to become a breeding vessel, and then denied her children. Many parts of this book I winced and cringed at what I was reading, but kept on.
This book makes you pause and Contemplate many things, but strength is a huge asset.

Pola Pola Pola!!! My Sher. This story is amazing. And sad because this could have very well been one of my ancestor’s story. I cried a lot through this story which has never happened before. I look forward to reading more from this author.

A Woman of Endurance is the story of Pola's journey from her home village in Africa to being sold into the Puerto Rican slave trade. The book was heartbreaking, amazing and the story will stay with me long after the last page. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOMAN OF ENDURANCE
BY: DAHLMA LLANOS-FIGUEROA

In celebration with Black History Month I had this to read and review, which was also one of the most anticipated books of 2022. "Woman of Endurance," by Dahlma Llanos Figueroa was a book unlike I have ever read before in the most cruel ways Black people were treated whom were slaves. Polo who was once known as Keera begins fleeing her plantation in November 1849, from Hacienda Paraiso, Pinones, Puerto Rico and she can almost taste her freedom when she is caught. She has been used--her body an empty vessel that has been used to breed. As soon as she has given birth her babies have been ripped away from her and sold.

Pola is caught and taken to another plantation where her whipped and lacerated cuts all down her back and across her face she gets some respite by healing before being taken to the seamstress quarters. Here she will have it a lot easier with plenty to eat from the owner's cook. Pola is defensive and bitter with a lacerating sharp tongue. She can't have anymore babies but her living quarters are much more civil than what she formerly lived in. She doesn't trust men of any kind not even Simon who helped her when she was caught and sent to this new plantation of sugar cane.

One day when she was tasked to delivering food from the cook from the owner's home a mean spirited woman slave starts a fight with her thinking that Pola should be out working cutting down sugar cane with most of the rest of the plantation. Pola is having an easier time with the seamstresses who make the fine clothing for the owner's wife and her friends.

On Sunday's the slaves get a day off from work to be spent at their leisure where Pola slips into the woods and finds this astonishing tree that is so wide it would take five men with their arms outstretched to circle it. Pola climbs the tree and soon discovers a waif of a girl who becomes like a daughter to her and she brings her food every Sunday. This is the first opportunity for Pola to start caring about somebody again and she learns that the young girl has been separated from her mother and been fending for herself. The two form a strong bond and Pola brings her food every Sunday.

Just the notion that Pola can slip away unnoticed on Sunday's is astonishing. This was marketed as a combination of Toni Morrison's "Beloved," and Phillipa Gregory's "A Respectable Trade." The writing is powerfully spiritual at times. When I went back to the beginning it was when I noticed how haunting the writing was. It was darker at first but upon my second glimpses it did hearken back to the spiritual powers of the sea. It is sad that people were treated so inhumanely and there is a growing sense of the many facets of love. A mother's love, a daughter's love, a sister's love and a love of community start to grow inside Pola again. This was a beautifully written historical novel that explores the slave trade in Puerto Rico. And even the most brutalized spirits can be coaxed back to an opening of light and love if allowed kindness to rekindle the human spirit. Highly, Highly Recommended!

Publication Date: April 12, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa and Amistad Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#AWomanofEndurance #DahlmaLlanosFigueroa #AmistadPublishing #NetGalley

A Woman of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa is a stunning historical fiction that will stay with me for years to come.

This is the unforgettable story of a woman taken from her home in Africa and enslaved into the Puerto Rican slave trade. The events, experiences, losses, unspeakable pain, and horrific experiences that Polita (Pola) is forced to undergo are heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, but also just as important is her resilience, response, courage, and strength.

Her story helps shed light on just some of the atrocities that took place to so many innocent victims that were forced into the slave trade. It is so important to never forget.

The author does an amazing job painting the landscapes, narrative, emotions, and the psychological and physical pain that was experienced by Pola and those surrounding her.

This is a book that all should read and one that I will remember for years to come.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NG and Amistad for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/12/22.

A Woman of Endurance is the story of Pola's journey from her home village in Africa to being sold into the Puerto Rican slave trade. Her story is unimaginable; sometimes horrific which makes Pola hard to connect to at times. But watching her come through damaged but unbroken and find love and as much security as is available to her in that era made for an excellent read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

As much as things change (in this case, the setting is Puerto Rico), the horrors and cruelty of the intercontinental Slave Trade remain the same. Regardless of the locale, acts of depravity by overseers and owners are a constant. However, this novel shines a light into the darkness and showcases the humanity that dwelves within the enslaved community -- they forge bonds, build families, support and heal each other despite inhumane conditions and deplorable surroundings.

Pola survives the unimaginable: the violent capture from her childhood village, the tortuous Middle Passage, and when fortune completely abandons her, she is sold for “breeding” to a sadistic owner who uses her and other women for manual labor, biological function (childbirth), and incessant sexual abuse/exploitation. It is no wonder that she abandons faith in her gods and mankind. An event, which ends with her being beaten, disfigured and sold at a pittance on the cusp of death to another plantation, provides an opportunity for change beyond measure.

The author offers graphic depictions of the hellish experiences (hard to read, but I appreciated the “realness” - no doubt many suffered similar fates), but balanced with moments of extreme tenderness, kindness, and love. She covered the gamut with the outstanding supporting cast of characters -- there are those who bend but don’t break, those who are self-centered survivalists, those who are cleverly generous and giving, those who are at the edge but are pulled back, and those who break mentally, emotionally, and/or physically.

Highly recommended for fans of Women's and Historical Fiction.

Pola, a slave, is used for breeding. As soon as she give birth, her child is taken into the unknown. No longer able to endure, she tries to flee, but is caught and beaten near death. Sold, she finds herself in a different plantation, where she is given the opportunity to work with the house slaves rather than in the cane fields.

This novel was heartbreaking. Pola was a very dynamic character, who I found myself cheering for throughout the story. This author is an excellent writer, her words painted a picture in my mind. I found myself unable to put the book down, needing to know what happened with Pola. Overall, 5 out of 5 stars.

At 1st I found this book to be be a little long. As I got into the story, however, I understand that the detail was important to her journey. The writing is impactcable. As I finished this book, I was very glad that I stayed to the end.

Exceptional! One of the best books I've read all year. This author has a gift for storytelling. You will find your imagination painting her words into the very pictures her writing describes. Everything is perfect in this story, from character development to crisp narrative -- it just all flows. Put this on your list of must reads and buy it when it is released! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Woman of Endurance starts off with Pola's story as a slave. From the coast of Africa to the plantations of Puerto Rico, Pola's life has not been easy. Used as a "brood mare" at her previous plantation, Pola decides to take her own life. However, she is discovered, beaten within an inch of her life, and sold to a new patron. She recovers in the new plantation's infirmary, but has closed herself off, emotionally and physically. She goes through the motions of living, but maintains a chip on her shoulder and carries her anger like a badge of honor.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Written with such passion and feeling, I was transported to the Hacienda along with Pola. While the story itself was amazing, I found the chapter divisions a little confusing at first. However, as the story went on, the events became clearer and everything fell into place. I loved the strength of Pola's character, the truth behind her anger and personality, and the love she eventually learns to feel for those around her. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a story of redemption, healing, and the power of friendship.