Reviews
Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots by Morgan Jerkins
brettpet's review against another edition
3.0
Wandering in Strange Lands was a tough read for me. On one hand, it's a well-researched deep dive into black history and the long term impact of the Great Migration, filled with poignant interviews and first-hand accounts of racial discrimination. On the other, it feels like I'm reading someone's PHD thesis. It's great that Morgan Jerkins was so passionate about this topic and was able to craft a critically-acclaimed and unique research perspective, but I had trouble keeping interest. The first section on Georgia and the Gullah-Geechee people of South Carolina were an interesting start to the book, but my desire to finish plummeted during the second section on Louisiana. I just didn't find much interesting about the section aside from Jerkins' interview with Kelly Clayton and their discussion on skin color/being white passing. The sections on Oklahoma and California were the most attention-grabbing for me, as I thought the research around indigenous land rights was well-paced and within my field of interest. The latter chapter, particularly the interview with Regina, was interesting but a bit brief compares to the first two parts. Overall, I think this book is well written but a bit over-structured and rigid to read. I would only recommend it if you're extremely interested in the Great Migration or land rights issues.
hhw92's review against another edition
5.0
It was so informative and interesting going on this journey with the author. Growing up in the south, specifically middle Georgia, I was fascinated to hear about to many places I have been to, whether for vacation or field trips, and the deep rooted history behind them.
zoya_neela's review against another edition
Many questions answered, so many more raised. While reading this, it was possible to 'see' how the seeds of "Caul Baby" were planted. History, the stories of our past, living for it.
loyaltolit's review against another edition
I learned SO much and it sparked my curiosity to do my own research on some of the topics Jerkins explored, which to me is the ultimate sign of a great text.
sarabeckman617's review against another edition
4.0
If you've read [b:Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents|51152447|Caste The Origins of Our Discontents|Isabel Wilkerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597267568l/51152447._SY75_.jpg|75937597] you should pick up this book. Morgan Jerkins talks about the black/white binary (caste) often especially when she ends up parts of her history that blended the lines between black/white/indigenous groups.
The book would also be fascinating to anyone interested in family history or genealogy. Jerkins weaves together many threads of American history that impacted her family roots in the American South including the exclusion of Native tribes in the 1830s to Indian territory.
This book is a great reminder that we are not all just one thing. That history is not as simple or as straight forward as we are lead to believe.
The book would also be fascinating to anyone interested in family history or genealogy. Jerkins weaves together many threads of American history that impacted her family roots in the American South including the exclusion of Native tribes in the 1830s to Indian territory.
This book is a great reminder that we are not all just one thing. That history is not as simple or as straight forward as we are lead to believe.
da_mekah's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
I really loved certain aspects of the book, especially the knowledge about Creole and Gullah people since that is also in my ancestry.
One thing I personally did not care for was the author’s choice to not capitalize the word ‘Black’ when referring to race. It seemed an interesting choice for a Black author writing a book about the effects of slavery and steady migration of Black people.
The other thing that really put me off was the insensitivity displayed in the author’s references to Native Americans. It’s been shared knowledge for quite some time that the word I*ndi*n is a slur that reflects the pov of colonizers. I expected much better from a book released in 2020.
One thing I personally did not care for was the author’s choice to not capitalize the word ‘Black’ when referring to race. It seemed an interesting choice for a Black author writing a book about the effects of slavery and steady migration of Black people.
The other thing that really put me off was the insensitivity displayed in the author’s references to Native Americans. It’s been shared knowledge for quite some time that the word I*ndi*n is a slur that reflects the pov of colonizers. I expected much better from a book released in 2020.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs
_geminigenres's review against another edition
I think Morgan Jenkins is not for me. Her audience isn't geared toward me.