Drausin and Josephine: We Too Shall Pass

By: John H. Wulsin Jr.
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: December 3, 2024
ISBN: 979-8891324978
Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki
Review Date: November 25, 2024

John H. Wulsin Jr.'s searing historical novel Drausin and Josephine: We Too Shall Pass follows a family as they struggle with the consequences of making a life-altering choice in an attempt to pursue opportunities and freedom that would have been otherwise unattainable.

A multi-generational saga set in the 1850s, Wulsin spins out a seminal tale into the vignettes of Drausin Valsin Bacas, who, along with his brothers, find out their father's secret of passing on as white to escape racial intolerance, a decision that leads to their banishment. The Fugitive Slave Act, which mandated that runaway slaves be returned to their masters even if they were in a free state, serves as the backdrop for Drausin and his wife Josephine's decision to leave New Orleans and escape racial oppression. He journeys up north with his family to Cincinnati, Ohio, known to many as the Queen City. They are forced to navigate the dangerous world of white identity in Cincinnati while passing for white.

The narrative takes us through the intertwined lives of Drausin and Josephine, who despite their unambiguous Black heritage, hope to be immovably placed on top of a hierarchy of authenticity and identity. Overcoming the fear of becoming enslaved again in New Orleans and gaining wider horizons in Cincinnati, their new fear becomes their color being revealed and losing their white liberty. Consequently, their future and that of their generations are marked as uncertain in a nation polarized by regional ideologies and rising tension over the slavery issue. The two are forced to devise ways to adjust in a divided society reflecting on their families' legacies, the consequences of the choices taken by their predecessors, and the sacrifices they have to make.

Drausin and Josephine: We Too Shall Pass is a canon-worthy work that creates an emotional nuance and awareness in readers that is less obvious in recent times. Wulsin tackles the subject of race with deftness, establishing a framework muscled with dignity and information regarding a part of humanity and history so often overlooked, ultimately making readers meditate on a universal theme deeply embedded in the American psyche. The characters are well-crafted and fleshed out, with each chapter indicating notable growth in their personal choices and actions. The author does an impeccable job portraying the period his book is set in, tackling the sensitive questions about race and class. Poignant moments are vividly drawn, portraying fragile characters who must assuage their past, forging forward, both in hope and sorrow, into an indefinite future. This powerful portrayal of a multi-generational family shaped by class prejudices and circumstances shines resonant themes of family, love, loss, and sacrifices, set within a pivotal moment that played a part in shaping America.

Quill says: Historical enthusiasts will appreciate Drausin and Josephine: We Too Shall Pass by John H. Wulsin Jr. It is a story written with razor-sharp precision cupped with an enduring grace of perseverance in a period where racism created bounded alienations.

For more information on Drausin and Josephine: We Too Shall Pass, please visit the publisher's website at: atmospherepress.com/books/drausin-and-josephine-we-too-shall-pass-by-john-h-wulsin-jr