--- product_id: 4464367 title: "Property" brand: "valerie martin" price: "€ 34.02" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/4464367-property store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Property **Brand:** valerie martin **Price:** € 34.02 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Property by valerie martin - **How much does it cost?** € 34.02 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/4464367-property) ## Best For - valerie martin enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted valerie martin brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Property ## Images ![Property - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51k9nBjWz+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ How dare she! *by J***N on Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022* I am from Louisiana and I know that Creole people are descendants of Europeans and blacks. So, how dare Manon Gaudet and people like her, completely disregard their black ancestors and treat slaves the way they do! To this day, they still pass for white and many are comfortable doing so, but this character is one you will love to hate. She is so self-absorbed that she can't deal with her insecurities. I both love and hate this book. I loved that it kept me on edge and waiting for the main character to get hers. I hated it, because the ending was nothing I expected, in light of the storyline. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, but not those who get easily angered by the subject matter. This book is not for the faint of heart. It will, at times, tempt you to stop reading it and throw it against the wall. You have been warned. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Why Tara Fell *by G***I on Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2011* "When our home was gone and we moved in to the city, I learned that Father, who was so strong, loving, stern, and fair, was all that stood between my innocent happiness and chaos." So observes Manon Gaudet, the white narrator of "Property.""You women should think about what would happen to you if I wasn't here," her husband tells Manon and the black slave Sarah, who also happens to be the mother of his two children.And both Manon and Sarah do think about what would happen to them were Gaudet not there. They think of it all the time. It is what tethers them to one another and simultaneously pits them against one another. Indeed, they cannot escape it, for they live on a sugar cane plantation in ante-bellum Louisiana, and while Sarah is legally enslaved and Manon owns her own person, both are actually enslaved to the white males who in fact control their fates.Their deepening awareness of the pervasiveness of their dependence and their responses to that realization generate the tension in this novel. Martin is a master of economy, and in this short book keeps the reader breathless almost from the outselt.I almost passed this book by because all this seemed so obvious, so pat. But in Valerie Martin's hands, the abstraction of slavery catches the fire of life and leaves nothing untouched. Even religion is reduced to farce in a world where the church of Jesus Christ bends its knee to the dehumanizing system of slavery. The system itself, philosophically hostile to the Constitution that nevertheless permits it, dictates all relations between people. In a world where the enslaved greatly outnumber the owners of slaves, maintaining order at all costs becomes the paramount virtue. There can be no "good guys" in such a world. All are corrupted by the greed and inhumanity that make possible the great plantations that are the economic backbone of the Ante-bellum South.In Manon,Martin creates a narrator who always engages the reader and yet is deeply flawed, a considerable achievement. The carefully crafted plot often surprises and it builds breathtaking suspense through---and beyond-- the last sentence.This is a brilliantly-told story. After the first page, I could not put the book down. I read it in one sitting. The writer develops her characters and manages her plot with a power the situation deserves. If you are looking for a book about a bad slave mistress and a good enslaved servant, this is not your book.One of the most exciting books I've read in a long, long time. I look for great things from the author. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Read it in a single day *by 1***R on Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2009* Winner of the 2003 Orange Prize, Property by Valerie Martin is an extremely readable story set in the South and is, obviously, about slavery and what it means to be free.Manon is the wife of a cruel slaveowner and is miserable in her marriage. She idealizes her father, who was kind (relatively speaking) to his slaves, and hates her husband, but really, she is not that kind to her slaves herself. Manon is not a likable character at all, though we do feel a little sympathetic toward her situation. Her attitudes toward slavery were probably typical of the time -- in other words, deplorable.It is ironic that Manon really is `property' to her husband as well. I believe that is the thrust of the novel. There is a parallel story between her and her slave Sarah. Both desperately want freedom, but Manon cannot understand why Sarah won't accept her position as slave. There is a certain scene between Manon and Sarah that I *did not* care for, but it illustrated Manon's attitudes perfectly. She was enforcing her `ownership' of Sarah just as her husband did.I thought the story was leading up to a certain conclusion in the end, but it didn't happen, and the book ends a bit abruptly. Though I wanted more, the book definitely is thought-provoking. It is a quick read -- I read it in a single day, and I do recommend it if you're interested in the time period or Orange Prize winners. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/4464367-property](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/4464367-property) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-04-22*