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dkg20's review
5.0
EVERYONE should read this book! I’m thankful that we have this story, it is remarkable. The audiobook was great to read along with!
hjswinford's review against another edition
5.0
This was kind of hard to rate because as others have pointed out in reviews, only about half of this book, if that, is Cudjo's story. I think some important stuff was said in the prefaces (yes, plural), but ultimately most of it was unneeded or repetitive. (But it did cast Hemingway in a pretty bad light HA)
So aside, from that, I decided to only consider Cudjo's actual story in my rating because I couldn't rightfully give it less than 5 stars. It was a powerful snapshot of one man's outlook on US history. It brought me to tears. It was recorded in his own dialect, which Robin Miles (the audiobook QUEEEEN) read perfectly. I think it would have been difficult in writing, but her reading was amazing.
Before this, my only exposure to Zora Neale Hurston was reading Their Eyes Were Watching God in high school. I didn't even know she wrote any non-fiction. This book was written by her, but it doesn't really show her writing as most of the meat of it is simply recording Cudjo's words. Regardless, this makes me want to find more of her works.
Especially if Robin Miles reads the audiobooks.
So aside, from that, I decided to only consider Cudjo's actual story in my rating because I couldn't rightfully give it less than 5 stars. It was a powerful snapshot of one man's outlook on US history. It brought me to tears. It was recorded in his own dialect, which Robin Miles (the audiobook QUEEEEN) read perfectly. I think it would have been difficult in writing, but her reading was amazing.
Before this, my only exposure to Zora Neale Hurston was reading Their Eyes Were Watching God in high school. I didn't even know she wrote any non-fiction. This book was written by her, but it doesn't really show her writing as most of the meat of it is simply recording Cudjo's words. Regardless, this makes me want to find more of her works.
Especially if Robin Miles reads the audiobooks.
lovelykd's review
4.0
There are some who’ll choose to lock-in on the accuracy of the text: how much of the story was embellished, or helped along, by Hurston? While others will focus on the parts that were “plagiarized”—choosing to center in on how legitimate the story can be if its author didn’t concern herself with the due diligence of citing whose works she chose to use.
To me, none of that mattered.
It’s irrelevant and petty to even address the how of this work, as it only stands to negate (and belittle) the importance of Cudjo’s story.
Lewis (also referred to as Kossola) emotionally relays his story of being sold out by countrymen, stolen away by ship to a foreign land (on a despicable bet), forced into five and a half years of slavery, set free, but made to adapt in a country he never wanted to call “home” in the first place—without the benefit of being awarded his own property or even offered a proper education—then made to endure years of injustice via the questionable deaths of his sons, the loss of his physical well-being, and the agony of being ostracized by not only whites, but blacks as well.
Through it all, he managed to carve out a semblance of a life.
His strength, and perseverance, despite all the wrong he endured, should be THE STORY. Not some nonsensical debate over who actually wrote it first.
Anyone that chooses to quibble over that particular aspect is selling Cudjo short; making a mockery of an experience that, for millions, stood as a shining example of how the “American Dream” was more important than “common humanity” or right and wrong.
To me, none of that mattered.
It’s irrelevant and petty to even address the how of this work, as it only stands to negate (and belittle) the importance of Cudjo’s story.
Lewis (also referred to as Kossola) emotionally relays his story of being sold out by countrymen, stolen away by ship to a foreign land (on a despicable bet), forced into five and a half years of slavery, set free, but made to adapt in a country he never wanted to call “home” in the first place—without the benefit of being awarded his own property or even offered a proper education—then made to endure years of injustice via the questionable deaths of his sons, the loss of his physical well-being, and the agony of being ostracized by not only whites, but blacks as well.
Through it all, he managed to carve out a semblance of a life.
His strength, and perseverance, despite all the wrong he endured, should be THE STORY. Not some nonsensical debate over who actually wrote it first.
Anyone that chooses to quibble over that particular aspect is selling Cudjo short; making a mockery of an experience that, for millions, stood as a shining example of how the “American Dream” was more important than “common humanity” or right and wrong.
leasummer's review against another edition
4.0
**Please seek out own voices reviews**
This was a book that ended too quickly for me, the stories Cudjo Lewis told were so vivid, Hurston's writing in his dialect was so impactful. I could have listened to more stories about his life and the stories he remembers. I wish it was longer, it felt too short. The explanation of Hurston's work (which in the audio I listened to was at the beginning) was a little bit of a disappointing to start the book and I didn't feel it was necessary. Highly recommend.
This was a book that ended too quickly for me, the stories Cudjo Lewis told were so vivid, Hurston's writing in his dialect was so impactful. I could have listened to more stories about his life and the stories he remembers. I wish it was longer, it felt too short. The explanation of Hurston's work (which in the audio I listened to was at the beginning) was a little bit of a disappointing to start the book and I didn't feel it was necessary. Highly recommend.
elg1105's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and War
nypeapod's review against another edition
3.0
This is actually a very short book, the edition (audio) I listened to was at least half of background knowledge about why she was sent to interview this gentleman and did she "borrow" portions from another source. Not my favorite Zora Neale Hurston book.