Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Could not put down. The author is able to transport you back in history.
At 5'2" Aminata Diallo maybe small in stature but there's nothing diminutive about her character as she journeys from Bayo to America to Canada and finally to England. This book was so beautifully written, so woeful yet so gripping.
".....what is it meant to be a slave; your past didn't matter, in the present you are invisible and you had no claim on the future"
How one imperious group of people decide to treat another race with such disdain is gut wrenching.
".....what is it meant to be a slave; your past didn't matter, in the present you are invisible and you had no claim on the future"
How one imperious group of people decide to treat another race with such disdain is gut wrenching.
It took me a really long time to finish this book because it tore my guts out. I truly have to question those reviewers who dinged the book because they (the reviewers) didn't feel invested in the character or felt that she had it "easy". Um, yeah, okay. I'll just leave that alone.
Hill's book does a masterful job of encapsulating one woman's fictional story within the context of actual historical events. "The Book of Negroes" was a real book. Slavery, like the Jewish holocaust has a million stories of survival, triumph, love, and, well, humanity, that need to be told whether in fictional or non-fictional terms. The problem among some segments of society is that they figure that by seeing the mini-series, "Roots" or reading the book, they know everything that they need to know about slavery and anything that doesn't fall within that narrative is "unauthentic". That is not true and this book is a great way to challenge that belief.
Hill weaves a gripping and heart-wrenching tale that paints a picture of the often underestimated strength that allows women to persevere. The main character in the book is heroic in every way in spite of the non-stop atrocities that are forced upon her. She is smart, adaptable, and strong...a rare depiction in print or in film of a slave woman. Bottom line, this is a great story. One need only recognize the resilience of women in general and Black women in particular to appreciate the book. The many characters who flow in and out of the book are unique and impact both the main character and the overall story in a way that helps to build a picture that helps to keep the reader engaged.
This book is one of the best that I've ever read. I bought the pictorial version of the book as a keepsake, bought copies to give to friends as presents, and almost died and went to heaven when I won an autographed copy in a contest. I will treasure my copies forever.
Hill's book does a masterful job of encapsulating one woman's fictional story within the context of actual historical events. "The Book of Negroes" was a real book. Slavery, like the Jewish holocaust has a million stories of survival, triumph, love, and, well, humanity, that need to be told whether in fictional or non-fictional terms. The problem among some segments of society is that they figure that by seeing the mini-series, "Roots" or reading the book, they know everything that they need to know about slavery and anything that doesn't fall within that narrative is "unauthentic". That is not true and this book is a great way to challenge that belief.
Hill weaves a gripping and heart-wrenching tale that paints a picture of the often underestimated strength that allows women to persevere. The main character in the book is heroic in every way in spite of the non-stop atrocities that are forced upon her. She is smart, adaptable, and strong...a rare depiction in print or in film of a slave woman. Bottom line, this is a great story. One need only recognize the resilience of women in general and Black women in particular to appreciate the book. The many characters who flow in and out of the book are unique and impact both the main character and the overall story in a way that helps to build a picture that helps to keep the reader engaged.
This book is one of the best that I've ever read. I bought the pictorial version of the book as a keepsake, bought copies to give to friends as presents, and almost died and went to heaven when I won an autographed copy in a contest. I will treasure my copies forever.
Amazing story of willpower, courage, and feminism.
Loved the book but the ending was rather abrupt and unsatisfying. That said- I still gave it 5 stars because it really was great otherwise.
This was a neat discovery I had not heard about until my book club suggested it. The story opens when the main character, Aminata, is eleven. She is taken from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. As a group, my book club agreed Aminata was a great conduit for the explaining the story. As a character, she was not always the most sympathetic toward others. She was not exactly selfish but possibly oblivious to the double standards she maintained. In partiuclar, her religion is of substance in the beginning then she makes excuses for herself in adulthood.
Religion is one example. However, it does not interfere with the history and detail provided. The information and research done for this book are to be applauded.
Religion is one example. However, it does not interfere with the history and detail provided. The information and research done for this book are to be applauded.
took me quite a while to figure out this review. i couldn’t stop reading this book and loved how dimensional the characters were.
but the author used the n-word A LOT (i know it’s historically accurate but i‘m not the biggest fan of using it in modern literature)
but the author used the n-word A LOT (i know it’s historically accurate but i‘m not the biggest fan of using it in modern literature)
