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nerdese 's review for:
Miles is a wonderful writer and I loved the concept of this book. It was great to listen to, as I really felt as though I was being immersed in the story and could feel the locations, sense the history vibrating through the air. I wasn't familiar with the sack itself or its place in a museum or in history, but it was fascinating to get to learn about it in this format.
That said, I did feel at times that this book felt less like a deep historical dive or research project, and more like a narrative that was taking the scant evidence available and spinning a possible story. Which is meaningful in its own way, but perhaps not exactly what I was expecting going in. It isn't a huge surprise that there is a lack of primary sources when dealing with the history of enslaved people in America. Many families can only be traced so far back before the trail goes cold. The recreation of who Rose and Ashley were thus had to draw from a lot of assumptions and likely paths, but they weren't necessarily rooted in fact. This left a lot of the book to be filled with context and history of the area, of plantations, of the slave owners which is useful, but not necessarily what I was reading for.
So all-in-all, this was a really powerful story, but it did feel a bit stretched thin for a full length book/audiobook. Had I read this as a longform article, I think it would have had the impact I expected it to. But I still think it was a deserving winner of the National Book Award, and I'd be very interested in seeing what other stories and histories Miles explores next. (Also, this book has me determined to finally visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where Ashley's Sack has been on display since 2016).
That said, I did feel at times that this book felt less like a deep historical dive or research project, and more like a narrative that was taking the scant evidence available and spinning a possible story. Which is meaningful in its own way, but perhaps not exactly what I was expecting going in. It isn't a huge surprise that there is a lack of primary sources when dealing with the history of enslaved people in America. Many families can only be traced so far back before the trail goes cold. The recreation of who Rose and Ashley were thus had to draw from a lot of assumptions and likely paths, but they weren't necessarily rooted in fact. This left a lot of the book to be filled with context and history of the area, of plantations, of the slave owners which is useful, but not necessarily what I was reading for.
So all-in-all, this was a really powerful story, but it did feel a bit stretched thin for a full length book/audiobook. Had I read this as a longform article, I think it would have had the impact I expected it to. But I still think it was a deserving winner of the National Book Award, and I'd be very interested in seeing what other stories and histories Miles explores next. (Also, this book has me determined to finally visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where Ashley's Sack has been on display since 2016).