A review by thecaptainsquarters
The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djèlí Clark

5.0

I was expecting this story to be emotionally devastating but instead it was a fascinating intellectual exercise. I expected my heart to be shredded and instead my mind was stretched. Apparently, George Washington (our evil first president) purchased teeth from people for his false dentures. This story starts with a quote, “‘By Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr. Lemoire’ –Lund Washington, Mount Vernon plantation, Account Book dated 1784.” This story explores what the secret lives of the teeth were. I loved this story and it sent me down a rabbit hole about the history behind Washington’s teeth. Check out this article to see a picture of Washington’s dentures and to learn more about the history of false teeth. This was fantastic and I still think it should have won the Hugo. Arrrr!