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A review by whitneymouse
African Town by Charles Waters, Irene Latham
4.0
**Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers in connection with the New England Library Collaborative Teen Summit for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my thoughts and ratings**
First things first, to be VERY upfront, this book is written by two authors, one of whom is Black, one of whom is white, and neither of whom are descended from the survivors of the Clotilda. So if you're looking for something of that nature, there are some resources listed in the back of the book to peruse. I did not know Ms. Latham was not BIPOC when I downloaded this title and the way that part of this was addressed did cause me to rethink how I felt about the book a little bit. In their author's note, It is addressed that some readers may "question whether this was our story to tell." While I agree with them that it should not be left solely to the victims and descendants to tell this story, I do question the authors saying that we "need to work together and include multiple perspectives to 'get it right'." What perspectives specifically did they think needed to be added to "get it right"? I'm unsure if I believe that it was specifically the place of Ms. Latham to insert herself into this narrative since it is a topic and story that is newly being told and has only recently been brought to light. I understand the authors worked together on other projects, but in this case, I just wonder if that was the right decision. I'm wondering if it will perhaps take away from this story which is INCREDIBLY important. This is not to say that authors who aren't of color cannot tell stories about BIPOC people, but because there are so few titles about this particular story, I wonder if it's the best choice for the first time this topic is being brought to light for many, including many teens, for it to be presented by this specific author who has no ties to the community.
That aside, I think this book presents a topic that is incredibly important and that it will immediately be targeted to be banned because of that fact, along with the fact that it unapologetically portrays almost all white characters (more on that later) as being racist and as having feelings of white supremacy, as would have been the case for that time period. Timothy Meaher and William Foster, particularly, use multiple slurs, engage in shady tricks after the end of the Civil War to keep the Africans characters indebted to them, engage in rewriting of history later in life, and in voter intimidation, as well as many other realistic but uncomfortable situations of the time. I can easily see the Texas Board of Education having an issue upon this being released in January. I'm calling it now that this will be challenged within an inch of it's binding.
The book discusses the circumstances of the last victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They were sold into slavery by their countrymen from Benin and Nigeria to Meaher, who made a bet back in America that he could smuggle in African people without being punished for it by US law, as it was illegal by this point to bring in new enslaved people. The book is a novel in verse, with each character having their own specific form of poetry (as is explained at the end of the book). You can tell a lot of thought went into the writing style. The book has many POV characters, including Kossola, Abile, Kêhounco, and Kupollee, all of whom were captured under different circumstances and sold to work as enslaved people in Alabama, Meaher and Foster, the two who organized this smuggling and own plantations or businesses, Augustine, Meaher's son who is portrayed as being "sympathetic" to the plight of the Africans, J.B., a sailor who sells out his morals for money, and even the ship herself, the Clotilda. I thought especially personifying the ship gives an added layer as it enables a deeper understanding of the quarters and conditions of the multi-month trip. There are 14 unique voices and they almost all add to the story. Personally, I don't think Augustine's needed to be there and I think it was included to make certain readers feel better about "not all people sharing their parent's beliefs." The authors claim they were encouraged by the work of Dr. Sylvaine Diouf, a historian who specializes in the African Diaspora, but I would've liked a specific citation for this particular characterization as she has written many works. While yes, ideas and thoughts change over generations, this child was growing up in the Deep South, right after the Civil War, and is "sympathetic" from an INCREDIBLY young age and through his adulthood, which feels historically inaccurate to me.
The book starts with Kossola's life back in Bantè (now known as Benin) in 1860 and goes through his capture, enslavement, through the Civil War, the creation of African Town (now known as Africatown and still standing today in Alabama), up through the deaths of Foster and Meaher in the early 1900s. This also includes marriages, the birth of children, the heartbreaking notion that returning to Africa is a pipe dream, and the creation of a new community in Alabama. There is hope and joy along with the heartache and pain. It is a stark portrayal of this time period and a book I hope many people pick up, despite my hesitation about whether this was the right author to tell this story. While I felt respect was shown and it was obviously well researched, I stand by my claim that it might have been better to go with someone who had more connections to the community since this is the first time many of us are hearing this story. I think it's a book that will be talked about for a long time to come and should be read and taught.
First things first, to be VERY upfront, this book is written by two authors, one of whom is Black, one of whom is white, and neither of whom are descended from the survivors of the Clotilda. So if you're looking for something of that nature, there are some resources listed in the back of the book to peruse. I did not know Ms. Latham was not BIPOC when I downloaded this title and the way that part of this was addressed did cause me to rethink how I felt about the book a little bit. In their author's note, It is addressed that some readers may "question whether this was our story to tell." While I agree with them that it should not be left solely to the victims and descendants to tell this story, I do question the authors saying that we "need to work together and include multiple perspectives to 'get it right'." What perspectives specifically did they think needed to be added to "get it right"? I'm unsure if I believe that it was specifically the place of Ms. Latham to insert herself into this narrative since it is a topic and story that is newly being told and has only recently been brought to light. I understand the authors worked together on other projects, but in this case, I just wonder if that was the right decision. I'm wondering if it will perhaps take away from this story which is INCREDIBLY important. This is not to say that authors who aren't of color cannot tell stories about BIPOC people, but because there are so few titles about this particular story, I wonder if it's the best choice for the first time this topic is being brought to light for many, including many teens, for it to be presented by this specific author who has no ties to the community.
That aside, I think this book presents a topic that is incredibly important and that it will immediately be targeted to be banned because of that fact, along with the fact that it unapologetically portrays almost all white characters (more on that later) as being racist and as having feelings of white supremacy, as would have been the case for that time period. Timothy Meaher and William Foster, particularly, use multiple slurs, engage in shady tricks after the end of the Civil War to keep the Africans characters indebted to them, engage in rewriting of history later in life, and in voter intimidation, as well as many other realistic but uncomfortable situations of the time. I can easily see the Texas Board of Education having an issue upon this being released in January. I'm calling it now that this will be challenged within an inch of it's binding.
The book discusses the circumstances of the last victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They were sold into slavery by their countrymen from Benin and Nigeria to Meaher, who made a bet back in America that he could smuggle in African people without being punished for it by US law, as it was illegal by this point to bring in new enslaved people. The book is a novel in verse, with each character having their own specific form of poetry (as is explained at the end of the book). You can tell a lot of thought went into the writing style. The book has many POV characters, including Kossola, Abile, Kêhounco, and Kupollee, all of whom were captured under different circumstances and sold to work as enslaved people in Alabama, Meaher and Foster, the two who organized this smuggling and own plantations or businesses, Augustine, Meaher's son who is portrayed as being "sympathetic" to the plight of the Africans, J.B., a sailor who sells out his morals for money, and even the ship herself, the Clotilda. I thought especially personifying the ship gives an added layer as it enables a deeper understanding of the quarters and conditions of the multi-month trip. There are 14 unique voices and they almost all add to the story. Personally, I don't think Augustine's needed to be there and I think it was included to make certain readers feel better about "not all people sharing their parent's beliefs." The authors claim they were encouraged by the work of Dr. Sylvaine Diouf, a historian who specializes in the African Diaspora, but I would've liked a specific citation for this particular characterization as she has written many works. While yes, ideas and thoughts change over generations, this child was growing up in the Deep South, right after the Civil War, and is "sympathetic" from an INCREDIBLY young age and through his adulthood, which feels historically inaccurate to me.
The book starts with Kossola's life back in Bantè (now known as Benin) in 1860 and goes through his capture, enslavement, through the Civil War, the creation of African Town (now known as Africatown and still standing today in Alabama), up through the deaths of Foster and Meaher in the early 1900s. This also includes marriages, the birth of children, the heartbreaking notion that returning to Africa is a pipe dream, and the creation of a new community in Alabama. There is hope and joy along with the heartache and pain. It is a stark portrayal of this time period and a book I hope many people pick up, despite my hesitation about whether this was the right author to tell this story. While I felt respect was shown and it was obviously well researched, I stand by my claim that it might have been better to go with someone who had more connections to the community since this is the first time many of us are hearing this story. I think it's a book that will be talked about for a long time to come and should be read and taught.