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Reviews tagging 'Slavery'
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph
10 reviews
lucyatoz's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph is the author's lifelong passion project, having spent years researching Sancho's life.
The story of Charles Ignatius Sancho is told in a fictionalised narrative based on some of the facts known about his life, with a mixture of diary entries and letters peppering the novel. Charles was the first Black Briton to vote and was an advocate for the abolition of slavery.
It was really interesting to learn more about this key figure in history, who I had never heard of before finding this book. I really appreciated the fact that the author was also the narrator of his own audiobook.
I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on CloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 48, the word "secret" in the title, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
The story of Charles Ignatius Sancho is told in a fictionalised narrative based on some of the facts known about his life, with a mixture of diary entries and letters peppering the novel. Charles was the first Black Briton to vote and was an advocate for the abolition of slavery.
It was really interesting to learn more about this key figure in history, who I had never heard of before finding this book. I really appreciated the fact that the author was also the narrator of his own audiobook.
I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on CloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 48, the word "secret" in the title, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Slavery
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
josiesprobablyreading's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
nicnocs511's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Death and Racial slurs
ariddity's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, and Slavery
nathanjhunt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This was my 7th book finished in 2024.
Having read slave narratives from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as diaries from the 17th and 18th centuries, I have to say that Joseph delivers an authentic and important book.
I will admit, I thought a bit more would happen. But I should be relieved and not disappointed that Sancho escaped some of the more brutal treatments black people received at this time.
I'd say this book was, surprisingly, a romance! I didn't think I would enjoy a book like that, but I was proven wrong.
It was so interesting to read about such a white-washed period of Britain. Even when you think a black man is free, he is not truly free. Sancho's referring to himself as a "caged bird" was perfect.
At times, I felt the book was slightly too long and slow-paced, but in retrospect, I think it was fine. I found it very easy to read, and flew through it. I feel my admiration for this book is growing over time.
For a debut novel, it is impressive. And Joseph clearly is very passionate and knowledgeable about Sancho. It was a delight to read.
Having read slave narratives from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as diaries from the 17th and 18th centuries, I have to say that Joseph delivers an authentic and important book.
I will admit, I thought a bit more would happen. But I should be relieved and not disappointed that Sancho escaped some of the more brutal treatments black people received at this time.
I'd say this book was, surprisingly, a romance! I didn't think I would enjoy a book like that, but I was proven wrong.
It was so interesting to read about such a white-washed period of Britain. Even when you think a black man is free, he is not truly free. Sancho's referring to himself as a "caged bird" was perfect.
At times, I felt the book was slightly too long and slow-paced, but in retrospect, I think it was fine. I found it very easy to read, and flew through it. I feel my admiration for this book is growing over time.
For a debut novel, it is impressive. And Joseph clearly is very passionate and knowledgeable about Sancho. It was a delight to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Classism
Moderate: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death, Fatphobia, and Alcohol
imlfox's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery
jayisreading's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
This was a really well-researched book on a phenomenal Black Briton, Ignatius Sancho. I remember coming across his name in my music studies, but this book was an eye-opening read into what his life was like as a Black man in eighteenth-century England. If you're looking for a deep dive into a fictionalized account of a historical figure, this novel may be for you.
That being said, I did find that the pacing was a little too slow for my taste, though things suddenly felt rushed towards the end. It also took some time to get used to the language, as Joseph wrote in a manner that was emulating how people during this period talked.
All-in-all, though, the story was told well. Joseph is also an actor, which comes through in this novel with some of its dramatic elements and how the story unfolded.
That being said, I did find that the pacing was a little too slow for my taste, though things suddenly felt rushed towards the end. It also took some time to get used to the language, as Joseph wrote in a manner that was emulating how people during this period talked.
All-in-all, though, the story was told well. Joseph is also an actor, which comes through in this novel with some of its dramatic elements and how the story unfolded.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs
gloomypanda's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
serendipitysbooks's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is a work of historical fiction based on the life of a formerly enslaved man who became a composer, abolitionist and the first Black man to vote in Britain. The conceit of the book is that it is composed of his diaries along with explanatory letters to his youngest son. In many ways the novel has a Dickensian flavour. Sancho after all was a poor orphan boy trying to survive in London but with the added difficulty of being Black and having to worry about unscrupulous slave catchers. In style too this book reads like a classic which adds to the feeling of authenticity, as if you are reading Sancho’s actual diary and correspondence as written in the eighteenth century.
Overall I found myself more invested in Sancho’s younger years, particularly his escape from the home of the three elderly women who treated him like a pet and then imprisoned him when they discovered he’d secretly learnt to read and write, than in his latter years. I felt that I was being shown the drama as it happened and was almost experiencing it alongside him. As Sancho got older I felt I was being told not shown about his life so felt a step removed. I’m unsure about the inclusion of letters from his eventual wife when she was in Barbados since they took the focus away from Sancho, although they did highlight his great fear. Despite Sancho’s hardships this book is not a heavy read. That’s because of his personality, or at least the way it is depicted in this book. He comes across as a rancoteur, somebody who doesn’t always take himself too seriously, is warm-hearted and enjoys life. Yet he’s always aware of his vulnerability as a Black man, and safety and freedom, for him, his family and other Blacks, are always underlying concerns. The horrors of plantation slavery may not have occurred in England itself. Yet, as highlighted in this book, Blacks did not enjoy an easy or equitable life there.
Overall I found myself more invested in Sancho’s younger years, particularly his escape from the home of the three elderly women who treated him like a pet and then imprisoned him when they discovered he’d secretly learnt to read and write, than in his latter years. I felt that I was being shown the drama as it happened and was almost experiencing it alongside him. As Sancho got older I felt I was being told not shown about his life so felt a step removed. I’m unsure about the inclusion of letters from his eventual wife when she was in Barbados since they took the focus away from Sancho, although they did highlight his great fear. Despite Sancho’s hardships this book is not a heavy read. That’s because of his personality, or at least the way it is depicted in this book. He comes across as a rancoteur, somebody who doesn’t always take himself too seriously, is warm-hearted and enjoys life. Yet he’s always aware of his vulnerability as a Black man, and safety and freedom, for him, his family and other Blacks, are always underlying concerns. The horrors of plantation slavery may not have occurred in England itself. Yet, as highlighted in this book, Blacks did not enjoy an easy or equitable life there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Sexual assault
woolyllamareads's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault
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