frogqueen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jkwriting24's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
casehouse's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audio version of this book, and I was riveted by the story of the main character's journey from freedom to slavery and beyond. Beyond that, listening to it caused me to think more deeply about the ways people justified the slave trade and about the ways they chose to participate in it or resist it.
bandkh1's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could have given this book 6+ Stars because I really, really loved it. I was engrossed from the first page. The book provided all my requirements of a book: information, history, warmth, education and a rollicking good story into the bargain.
There are some books you don't feel qualified to review. Here am I, a middle aged, white woman who, although I have faced gender discrimination in my working life, have never remotely dealt with anything like the challenges faced by the heroine, Animata Diallo.
Yet, I felt strongly connected to her. Her love of language, her dignity, her spirit and love of family - all these things I can relate to. To me, she was a strangely modern character, well ahead of her time, strong, outspoken, reflective but not once during the book did I feel that Lawrence Hill portrayed her unrealistically. On a side note, I find that the fact that Hill penned his protagonist as female is interesting in itself - he certainly "captures" the female psyche well!
Lawrence Hill has done his homework and, in doing so, has educated and enlightened me. I had little knowledge of the African Slave trade. Sure, I knew that people were captured from different language groups, bound together and shipped to wherever they would fetch the highest price whilst facing unspeakable cruelties and indignities, but that was about it. I didn't know anything about daily life on the plantations, the Book of Negroes, the shipment of Loyalists to Nova Scotia and other destinations, the establishment of Sierra Leone. I had seen Slaves as wretched people and, undoubtedly they were but I hadn't realised the extent to which they were able to form communities, comfort and nurture each other and tenuously keep in touch with others through the underground "fishnet" system. To say that they often triumphed over adversity would be an understatement.
Yet, their losses and the humiliations inflicted on them were mind numbing. On considering what Animata lost, gained back, lost again, all the while enduring unimaginable hardship, it was difficult to see her surviving and yet she did - magnificently so. At the risk of spoiling other readers enjoyment of her story, I will only say that her survival is only one of the uplifting events in this book of sorrows.
The writing is spectacular but never inaccessible. Lawrence Hill tells this epic tale simply. Written in the first person and in a narrative style (both styles I usually steer clear of), it is never dry or dull and doesn't intimidate the reader. And his writing is poetic. How could you not cry when you read something like "Englishmen do love to bury one thing so completely in another that the two can only be separated by force: peanuts in candy, indigo in glass, Africans in irons"?
The only negative I had with the book was the ending, which I felt was a little too neat and happened too quickly. I actually wrote to the author, Lawrence Hill and asked him why he ended the book so and he replied with his sound reasoning, so I was very happy to have heard from him. I still disagree with him but I suppose, as the author, I can allow him his opinion!
In summary, to those readers who long to read something of substance, READ THIS BOOK. You will learn so much about the lives of the slaves, both those stolen from their homelands and those born into slavery and you will be uplifted by the resilience of the human spirit and what it's capable of accomplishing. But you won't just learn - you will also get to read a well researched, well written, fantastically good book! And those are few and far between!
There are some books you don't feel qualified to review. Here am I, a middle aged, white woman who, although I have faced gender discrimination in my working life, have never remotely dealt with anything like the challenges faced by the heroine, Animata Diallo.
Yet, I felt strongly connected to her. Her love of language, her dignity, her spirit and love of family - all these things I can relate to. To me, she was a strangely modern character, well ahead of her time, strong, outspoken, reflective but not once during the book did I feel that Lawrence Hill portrayed her unrealistically. On a side note, I find that the fact that Hill penned his protagonist as female is interesting in itself - he certainly "captures" the female psyche well!
Lawrence Hill has done his homework and, in doing so, has educated and enlightened me. I had little knowledge of the African Slave trade. Sure, I knew that people were captured from different language groups, bound together and shipped to wherever they would fetch the highest price whilst facing unspeakable cruelties and indignities, but that was about it. I didn't know anything about daily life on the plantations, the Book of Negroes, the shipment of Loyalists to Nova Scotia and other destinations, the establishment of Sierra Leone. I had seen Slaves as wretched people and, undoubtedly they were but I hadn't realised the extent to which they were able to form communities, comfort and nurture each other and tenuously keep in touch with others through the underground "fishnet" system. To say that they often triumphed over adversity would be an understatement.
Yet, their losses and the humiliations inflicted on them were mind numbing. On considering what Animata lost, gained back, lost again, all the while enduring unimaginable hardship, it was difficult to see her surviving and yet she did - magnificently so. At the risk of spoiling other readers enjoyment of her story, I will only say that her survival is only one of the uplifting events in this book of sorrows.
The writing is spectacular but never inaccessible. Lawrence Hill tells this epic tale simply. Written in the first person and in a narrative style (both styles I usually steer clear of), it is never dry or dull and doesn't intimidate the reader. And his writing is poetic. How could you not cry when you read something like "Englishmen do love to bury one thing so completely in another that the two can only be separated by force: peanuts in candy, indigo in glass, Africans in irons"?
The only negative I had with the book was the ending, which I felt was a little too neat and happened too quickly. I actually wrote to the author, Lawrence Hill and asked him why he ended the book so and he replied with his sound reasoning, so I was very happy to have heard from him. I still disagree with him but I suppose, as the author, I can allow him his opinion!
In summary, to those readers who long to read something of substance, READ THIS BOOK. You will learn so much about the lives of the slaves, both those stolen from their homelands and those born into slavery and you will be uplifted by the resilience of the human spirit and what it's capable of accomplishing. But you won't just learn - you will also get to read a well researched, well written, fantastically good book! And those are few and far between!
kaylasbookishlife's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful book that should be on everyone’s TBR. .
.
I’ve had this book for years and have only just read it! Wow this book offers a fascinating story about a girl from Bayo Africa who is forced to become a slave in America. Aminata goes through so much and what I liked about this novel is how it is written as a reflection. Aminata is now an old woman in England about to speak with the abolitionists about the slave trade. She is writing down her story and takes us all the way back to Africa when she was 12 years old. .
.
What surprised me (and it shouldn’t have been a surprise) was that a lot of the slaves were Muslim. We are not taught anything about the culture, languages, traditions of slaves in school. We are not taught that they were doctors and landowners and scholars. I think this book gave a much needed sense of humanity to the people we forced into slavery. What was your idea of a slave before reading this book? I honestly cannot tell you because I was not taught to view them as having any sort of history before they came to America and Canada, that is where their history begins for us living in countries built by slaves and it’s appalling to say the least. .
.
I’ve had this book for years and have only just read it! Wow this book offers a fascinating story about a girl from Bayo Africa who is forced to become a slave in America. Aminata goes through so much and what I liked about this novel is how it is written as a reflection. Aminata is now an old woman in England about to speak with the abolitionists about the slave trade. She is writing down her story and takes us all the way back to Africa when she was 12 years old. .
.
What surprised me (and it shouldn’t have been a surprise) was that a lot of the slaves were Muslim. We are not taught anything about the culture, languages, traditions of slaves in school. We are not taught that they were doctors and landowners and scholars. I think this book gave a much needed sense of humanity to the people we forced into slavery. What was your idea of a slave before reading this book? I honestly cannot tell you because I was not taught to view them as having any sort of history before they came to America and Canada, that is where their history begins for us living in countries built by slaves and it’s appalling to say the least. .
hillarya's review against another edition
4.0
So incredibly heart wrenching. Made me feel like my measly problems were nothing compared to what "Meena" had to endure. She is much more of a survivor than I ever will be! A lot of horrific things to read, but I'm sure so true for the time. I couldn't quite understand why so many "African's" didn't fight right from the beginning. But then Meena kind of addressed that in the end and they all fought in their own way, I guess. Slavery has always been such a frustrating topic for me that really tugs at my heartstrings, so, needless to say, there were a lot of tears shed while I read this one. The only reason for the 4 is the writers details in a sexual manner really could have been more discreet, especially in regard to the good relations between Aminata and her husband. That really bothered me, but otherwise the history was great and I really felt connected to the characters.
francisforever123's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
sarahnibhriomhar's review against another edition
3.0
I can't really think of any words to properly describe this book. Simply a brilliant, beautiful read that I know I won't forget.