Review – I Am Jayvyn by Peter D Brown #peterdbrown #iamjayvyn

Posted on May 21, 2025 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

WOW! I had high hopes going into I Am Jayvyn by Peter D Brown and he did not disappoint. His research and the ability to create a storyline that rivals any other Black & African American Historical Fiction novel is at the top of the list.

We start off in Africa. Jayvyn is twelve years old, looking forward to his right of passage ceremony coming up, when his village is raided by English slavers. The trek to the slave ship left many dead and there would be many more that would succumb to the ocean voyage. Jayvyn kept telling himself, just stay alive and, maybe, some day…

I Am Jayvyn is 509 pages of raw emotion. I laughed and I cried with the characters. The brutality was savage. I cannot understand why one human being thinks they are better than another. The slaves were treated like chattel. How much work can you get out of someone that is being beaten and starved?

Every time something good happened to the slaves, I waited for something horrid to follow. What an emotional roller coaster. I felt all the emotions, happiness and sadness, disgust and anger, sorrow and rage. I love that, no matter how much they tried to beat him down, Jayvyn held on. There were those around him that helped him grow into a man that persevered, learning life’s lessons.

I Am Jayvyn by Peter D Brown is an in your face, thought provoking novel. An historical novel that blends truth with fiction, showing the slaves ability to believe in something larger than themselves, seeing the good amongst the evil.

I highly recommend I Am Javyyn by Peter D Brown. It was everything I anticipated and more. This is Peter’s first book, but I now have him in my sights and look forward to reading more of his work.

Thank you, Peter, for the opportunity to read I Am Jayvyn. Well done.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

“I AM JAYVYN,” is a compelling work of historical fiction positioned to remind readers, at a critical time, of the key role that the enslaved played in the development of America and the systemic racism that still plagues the US today.

Cir. 1710: On a beautiful morning full of hope and promise, twelve-year-old Javyn’s world is suddenly shattered when English slavers raid his peaceful village. His father is killed, he is separated from his mother and little sister, and his home is left in flames. In a whirlwind of change, Jayvyn survives the horrors of the middle passage alone, landing in Barbados, where he endures two years of ‘seasoning’ on a sugar plantation. His adolescent development progresses under the tutelage of Andrew, a fellow enslaved African, in desperate circumstances he could never have imagined.

In time, Jayvyn is sold again and survives another harrowing ocean voyage to South Carolina, where he is auctioned off to the owner of a growing rice plantation. Jayvyn lives his life amongst a diverse cast of fellow enslaved in a world where love, hate, and cruelty coexist as families are formed and separated at the whim of masters who see the enslaved as nothing more than chattel property. Colonial history unfolds while this resilient community of enslaved Africans adapt to an ever-changing world of oppression and subjugation.

Over the course of his life, Jayvyn gains a healthy perspective on the virtues and flaws of humanity—even transcending the high threshold of forgiveness—leaving readers with abundant food for thought delivered in an appalling tale of pain and suffering, but also one of true faith and deliverance told through the clear lens of history.

Genre: Black & African American Historical Fiction
505 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2025, Independent

ABOUT PETER D BROWN

Peter D. Brown is a Maine-based author of historical fiction with a deep interest in social justice and a passion for preserving history. His writing relies on a deep commitment to historical accuracy while aiming to illuminate stories of the oppressed or misunderstood. Presented alongside proclivities typical of the human condition, he challenges his readers to confront uncomfortable truths and engage with the complexities of the human experience.

Retired now from formal enterprise, Peter lives in a quiet, pastoral township in Maine with his loving wife and two dogs, where he enjoys ample quietude and peace to gain inspiration, sort out his thoughts, and bring them to life.

Through his work, Peter hopes to promote thoughtful conversations about the enduring impact of history on contemporary society.

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Giveaway – Delaware from Railways to Freeways by Dave Tabler @ireadbooktours

Posted on November 22, 2023 by fundinmental

Book Details:

Book Title: Delaware from Railways to Freeways / First State, Second Phase by Dave Tabler
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 110 pages
Genre: American History, Colonial
Publisher: Dave Tabler
Publication Date: Nov 1, 2023
Content Rating: G. None needed. Works for all audiences.

“Delaware from Railroads to Freeways by Dave Tabler is a visually stunning book that takes readers on a captivating journey through Delaware’s 19th-century history. With engaging narrative and stunning graphics that seem to leap off the page, this book provides an immersive and enthralling reading experience as Tabler chronicles the rich history of Delaware. This is his second installment of a three-part series on the history of Delaware – the First State…. For Delaware natives and enthusiasts, this is probably one of the best-illustrated background books of Delaware’s 19th-century history as you can find about the First State. It is truly a captivating book.“ — AuthorsReading

“Dave Tabler’s Delaware from Railways to Freeways is a fascinating history text covering important sites and artifacts from the first state. The book includes a wealth of historical and social insights into the production techniques and ultimate significance behind the early Delaware artifacts and events it covers. It makes note of the geographical importance of certain buildings and landscapes as well. Detailed images appear on each page of the book alongside brief, evocative descriptions of their meaning and significance. The result is an involving pictorial history of the evolution of Delaware, complemented by distinguishing coverage of the development of the state’s transportation infrastructure.” — Foreword Reviews

“Tabler’s second entry in a trilogy covering the history of Delaware rides the rails into the First State’s storied past, covering the tumultuous yet prosperous 19th century and the dawn of the 20th, that era of iron, steam, Civil War, suffragettes, technical marvels, and surprises both fun—like the history of scrapple, or the suspender-and-pants rig known as a “breeches buoy” used to rescue mariners—to the morbid, like public whipping posts or the jolting tale of a child’s corpse being sent through the mail. The stories of trends, people, and material goods that Tabler highlights, in short and inviting bursts of text, are interesting and well buttressed by the copious illustrations.” — Booklife

“The contents are entertaining and varied, offering glimpses of little-known aspects of American history, from Colonial-era enmity between Whigs and Tories to inventions such as the Manby mortar, a cannon-like device used in rescuing people from sinking ships, to a bartending goose.” –– Kirkus Reviews

“Delaware from Railways to Freeways is the second book in a series that began with Delaware Before the Railroads and whose planned conclusion is Delaware from Freeways to e-Ways. In his preface, author Dave Tabler touts the advent of the railroad, saying that it “ushered in a prosperous era for the First State” due to Delaware’s “strategic location” on the Delaware Bay. The book is mostly photographs, all of which are vibrant and compelling and include objects that would not be present in most histories of the state, such as John Jones’s adjustable peach sorter: an 1874 invention that revolutionized peach sorting. Or the crawlspace in the home of Quaker couple Daniel and Mary Corbit, in which they hid a fugitive slave in 1845. Tabler’s captions are bite-sized yet satisfying, offering readers a plethora of history without making them feel overworked. …More a coffee-table book than a proper history, Dave Tabler’s Delaware from Railways to Freeways is a worthy read for any devotee of Delaware’s past.“ — Indie Reader

“Delaware from Railways to Freeways offers readers a captivating journey through Delaware’s lesser-known history. It is an excellent choice for those who relish reading about unusual facts and harbor a passion for history, even if it occasionally leans toward trivia. This book provides a valuable contribution to understanding Delaware’s rich heritage.“ — Literary Titan

Book Description:

Delaware from Railways to Freeways covers eye-opening information about the region and its residents from 1800 to 1907. Laying out a captivating journey through pictures and offering up little-known anecdotes, entertainingly educational stories, and a comprehensive deep dive, Tabler gives insightful commentary on inventions, contributors to society, and transformative technology. History lovers of all ages will immensely enjoy this trove of 19th-century lore.

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Meet the Author:

Ten year old Dave Tabler decided he was going to read the ‘R’ volume from the family’s World Book Encyclopedia set over summer vacation. He never made it from beginning to end. He did, however, become interested in Norman Rockwell, rare-earth elements, and Run for the Roses.

Tabler’s father encouraged him to try his hand at taking pictures with the family camera. With visions of Rockwell dancing in his head, Tabler press-ganged his younger brother into wearing a straw hat and sitting next to a stream barefoot with a homemade fishing pole in his hand. The resulting image was terrible.

Dave Tabler went on to earn degrees in art history and photojournalism despite being told he needed a ‘Plan B.’

Fresh out of college, Tabler contributed the photography for The Illustrated History of American Civil War Relics, which taught him how to work with museum curators, collectors, and white cotton gloves. He met a man in the Shenandoah Valley who played the musical saw, a Knoxville fellow who specialized in collecting barbed wire, and Tom Dickey, brother of the man who wrote ‘Deliverance.’

In 2006 Tabler circled back to these earlier encounters with Appalachian culture as an idea for a blog. AppalachianHistory.net today reaches 375,000 readers a year.

Dave Tabler moved to Delaware in 2010 and became smitten with its rich past. He no longer copies Norman Rockwell, but his experience working with curators and collectors came in handy when he got the urge to photograph a love letter to Delaware’s early heritage. This may be the start of something.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ instagram ~ goodreads

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