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A review by savaging
Counternarratives by John Keene
5.0
These are extraordinary stories, reframing history through the eyes of the enslaved and oppressed. Even in the maw of colonization and white supremacism, nearly each story reveals a wily power -- unexpected escapes, survivals, pleasures, triumphs.
I highly recommended this compilation to anyone interested in history. But also there's really broad appeal in stories like "Rivers," which follows out the story of Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in a really satisfying way (screw you, Tom Sawyer!).
Many of Keene's protagonists have a supernatural access to hidden knowledge. This book feels like Keene's own magic power, to resurrect the dead, revitalize history, connect with the ancestors, and snatch new meaning out of all that awful violence.
I highly recommended this compilation to anyone interested in history. But also there's really broad appeal in stories like "Rivers," which follows out the story of Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in a really satisfying way (screw you, Tom Sawyer!).
Many of Keene's protagonists have a supernatural access to hidden knowledge. This book feels like Keene's own magic power, to resurrect the dead, revitalize history, connect with the ancestors, and snatch new meaning out of all that awful violence.