The Book of Negroes

The Book of Negroes is an exceptional, must-read story and one of my favourite books of all time. How's that for an opening line?

I first read The Book of Negroes in 2007 when it was originally published, and I remember being blown away by Canadian author Lawrence Hill's writing. He pulls his readers into this epic story with vivid language and his remarkable main character, Aminata Diallo, as he describes what life was like for the millions of slaves abducted from their homes and families in Africa and forced into slavery in the United States.

It has been 13 years since I first read this book, but it is one that has stayed with me. This time around, I decided to listen to the digital audiobook which is narrated by the talented Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah. She brings Aminata's story to life - from her abduction at age 11 from her village in West Africa, to surviving the slave ship that brought her to the US, to her time as a slave in South Carolina and her years in New York and Nova Scotia as she makes significant contributions to the abolitionist movement.

This is a beautifully written saga about an incredible woman whose story will resonate with you. This is not an easy read. You will feel Aminata's pain and witness her struggles, but you'll also celebrate her achievements. You will remember Aminata for her strength, her tenacity and her ability to survive despite immense odds as she pulls from the strength and knowledge given to her by her parents.   

This is Historical Fiction at its best. The Book of Negroes is an engrossing, emotional and well-researched story about a horrific and reprehensible era in history. If you haven't read this book yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

Note: This book is titled Someone Knows My Name in the United States.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Lawrence Hill

Genre: Historical Fiction, Canadian

Type: e-audiobook

Source: Audible

Narrator: Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah

Publisher: Harper Collins 

First Published: 2007

Book Description from GoodReads: Abducted from Africa as a child and enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom―and of the knowledge she needs to get home. 

Sold to an indigo trader who recognizes her intelligence, Aminata is torn from her husband and child and thrown into the chaos of the Revolutionary War. In Manhattan, Aminata helps pen the Book of Negroes, a list of blacks rewarded for service to the king with safe passage to Nova Scotia. There Aminata finds a life of hardship and stinging prejudice. When the British abolitionists come looking for "adventurers" to create a new colony in Sierra Leone, Aminata assists in moving 1,200 Nova Scotians to Africa and aiding the abolitionist cause by revealing the realities of slavery to the British public. 

This captivating story of one woman's remarkable experience spans six decades and three continents and brings to life a crucial chapter in world history.