My family likes to purchase bookish gifts for our fellow bookworm friends, and sometimes my kids want to snag a little swag for themselves as well. After we’d ordered a string of custom book cover necklaces for others, my 11-year-old daughter asked if I would order one for her. I thought this would be an easy yes until she informed me that the book cover she planned to wear around her neck was The Diary of a Clotee, a Slave Girl, one of the traumatic stories on our family bookshelves.

I obviously had a major issue with her wearing anything that says “slave girl” around her neck, so we proceeded to have a deep conversation about her love for such a complicated book:

Me: Sasha, I really don’t want you wearing jewelry that says “slave girl,” and I’m actually concerned about you reading that book so many times. How many times has it been anyway?

Sasha: I just finished reading it for the 13th time.

Me: Sasha! Why on earth do you keep reading that book?! Stories focused on the lives of enslaved people are traumatic, and I’m worried about you constantly taking in this type of literature.

Sasha: Traumatic? I don’t see it that way at all, Mama. I love reading this book because every time I read it I feel stronger! Reading it reminds me of how resilient our ancestors were and how they continued to survive no matter what was done to them. It really makes me feel proud of who I am. Plus, I love reading about this historical time period. And I really want that necklace.

Me: Wow. I had never considered that perspective. You teach me so much, girl. How about if we compromise? I’m going to buy you the necklace as a keepsake and reminder of a book that means so much to you, but you can’t actually wear it. Deal?

Sasha: Deal!

This conversation helped me to see the value of hard history. I mean, I’m the one who purchased the book so I knew that it was an important story, but I didn’t recognize that it could actually elicit positive emotions. Hearing Sasha’s thoughts reminded me not to assume that my children will experience traumatic stories in a negative or even difficult way. Children have an amazing ability to interact with complicated narratives, and I regularly find myself learning from my children.

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Here are a few of the traumatic stories on our home library shelves. The first is the book that Sasha adores, the second is another that she really enjoyed, and the last is next up on my oldest daughter’s reading list.

A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America Series) is a novel by one of my family’s favorite authors, the late Patricia C. McKissack. Having secretly taught herself how to read and write, Clotee, a brave twelve-year-old Virginia slave, witnesses the horrors of slavery and eventually becomes a conductor on the Underground Railroad.

Running Out of Night by Sharon Lovejoy is another historical fiction book centering on a traumatic story, and Sasha enjoyed this one as well. Every day is a misery for a nameless, motherless Southern girl who is treated cruelly by her pa and brothers. Her life changes forever when a runaway slave named Zenobia turns to her for help and shelter. Longing for her own freedom, the girl decides to run away, and she and Zenobia set off on a harrowing journey. 

Sold by Patricia McCormick (not to be confused with the Clotee author of a similar name) is a traumatic story that I bought after reading an amazing review, and I’m looking forward to hearing what my oldest daughter thinks of it. “Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. When the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at “Happiness House” full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.”

Want more ideas? Check out my posts on African American Historical Fiction and Stories of the 1800s for additional recommendations.

Have you read my book? In it, you’ll find discussions like this on traumatic stories, teaching hard history and how to balance it with beauty. Check it out: A PLACE TO BELONG. You can also find me hanging out on Instagram @heritagemomblog.