Book 3

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. I found it hard to believe that the author was a man, because from every aspect, through every scene, and every situation, it was as though a woman was writing it.

The story of Aminata Diallo, an African girl kidnapped from her village and thrust into slavery in the United States. The author did an amazing job of researching the lingo - saying she has lived for 10 rain seasons - every term and every word showed that the author did his research. For that I commend him.

Each location the reader is taken to; the village in Africa, the slave ship where Aminata witnesses murder, starvation, rape, the Indigo farm, and New York, to Nova Scotia where she lives in a small hut and gives birth to her daughter... and the love she shares with the boy Chekura, and their wedding ceremony where they jump over broomsticks... it was all fantastic and imaginative. And sad. it is certainly meant to be sad. But it was encouraging to see a woman so strong, so successful, despite her misfortunes.

For that reason I'm sure some readers wouldn't like the book - the character has misfortunes but never flounders and I believe some would find that hard to believe, that that couldn't possibly happen during the 17-1800s when the slave trade was in full-bloom. But, nonetheless, I'd recommend it, and am glad it made my list of 25.

It brought me to tears, and I find a lot of books have yet to do that to me.