A review by tuhraycee
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

5.0

This book stunned me. I'm in shock that I haven't heard of it before. An honest firsthand account of slavery by a well-spoken, kidnapped free man in the mid 1800s. How is this book not read in schools?? It is beautifully written. Mr. Northup explains his kidnapping and next 12 years in such an eloquent way that just magnifies the injustice of his situation. His commentary is so profound that it could have been written in the 21st century looking back 150+ years by a scholar with hindsight on his or her side. Never has a book taken me back so far and so well that I felt I was dropped by a time machine to be an invisible observer. It's a shame that this story has been nearly forgotten to this point. I hope the movie does the book justice.