Historically Epic and Profound

Book of Negroes

By: Lawrence Hill

Harpercollins Canada, Limited 2007

Abducted from her West African village at the age of 11, Aminata Diallo is taken to North Carolina and sold into slavery. Not understanding where she is or what is expected of her, Aminata works on a plantation for the evil indigo producer Robinson Appleby, and later a Jewish duty inspector Solomon Lindo. She works for the British during the war for independence, entering names into the infamous Book of Negroes. And when the British offer freedom to loyalist slaves, her journey takes her to Nova Scotia and then to Sierra Leone where nothing is what she expected. Along the way she learns English, teaches herself and others to read and write, makes friends, and falls in love.

Lawrence Hill is one of Canada’s hottest authors. Book of Negroes is the most vivid account I have read of slavery since Roots. Hill writes in a way where we can actually feel the pain and confusion of being stolen from your home by people you have never saw before, taken to a place, where you don’t even know where it is in relation to where you are from, and not being able to speak the language.

The main character Aminata is somewhat a prototype of what it must have been like to endure the horror of slavery, from a female perspective. However we also meet many other characters who, being born in America, know no other life than being owned and have just accepted their circumstances.

This novel is a real journey. It made me look into myself and realize how hard some people’s lives can be and have been in the past, the adversities that have to be overcome and can be overcome, But most of all the triumph of the human soul and spirit.

The Book of Negroes was a real document that recorded the names of all the freed loyalist slaves.

Story *****

Character *****

Readability *****

Overall Rating *****

www.lawrencehill.com