A review by jonna_doucette
Enslaved: The Sunken History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade by Sean Kingsley, Simcha Jacobovici

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

Riveting and infinitely approachable. This book honestly reads like a documentary film, and that's because it is! Based around the Samuel L Jackson miniseries of the same name (2020, BBC), 'Enslaved' spotlights the essential work of Diving For a Purpose, a maritime archaeology group dedicated to uncovering the hidden histories of slaver shipwrecks across the middle passage. Covering nine such ships in total, Diving For a Purpose meticulously reconstructs a torturous timeline of unimaginable human suffering which spans continents and centuries - lasting decades into slavery's supposed  'abolition.' This narrative, especially prescient in today's global economy of legalized slavery (prison labor, artisanal mining in the Congo, fast fashion garment factories, etc.) forces readers to bear witness to, honor, and reflect upon the countless stolen lives which have been needlessly forfeit to the avaricious machine of Western imperialism. If you have the chance to read this book, I highly recommend it.
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