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bluebirdsongs 's review for:
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
by Alex Haley
Wow. Just....wow. I'm floored by this book. This is a must-read for all Americans, without a doubt. Of course much has been written about American slavery and plantation life, but the painstakingly preserved oral tradition that recorded Mr. Haley's African heritage truly demonstrates the scope of the tragedy, in how much was stolen over hundreds of years in the names of racism, hatred, and profit. My heart aches for the millions of African-Americans who were not as lucky to have what Mr. Haley did - both the clues as to where he came from, and the resources to follow the trail all the way back to the village in the Gambia.
I think this is best captured in how jarring the POV changes are. After spending over a third of the book following Kunta from the Gambia to Virginia, I felt betrayed when that connection was abruptly severed. It didn't take me long to realize this was the reality endured by so many slave families who ripped away from their loved ones, never to be seen or heard from again.
The pacing also felt uneven, with the last generations being described much more in a Biblical "Tom begot Cynthia begot Bertha begot Alex" sort of way. However again I quickly realized how much this added to the book rather than took away from it--for the author, the connection back to Africa is the most important part, so it makes sense such a large chunk of the story takes place there and with "the African ancestor" as the narrator.
I can easily see why Haley's book is considered one of the most important works of American 20th century literature. It deserves that honor, and then some. For those who wonder why the call for racial justice in America is still so strong in 2020, the legacy of Black pain and suffering is laid out in stark detail right here. The repercussions of America's original sin are still with us, and until we make real progress towards correcting the long, ugly legacy of cruelty and injustice, there will continue to be a reckoning.
I think this is best captured in how jarring the POV changes are. After spending over a third of the book following Kunta from the Gambia to Virginia, I felt betrayed when that connection was abruptly severed. It didn't take me long to realize this was the reality endured by so many slave families who ripped away from their loved ones, never to be seen or heard from again.
The pacing also felt uneven, with the last generations being described much more in a Biblical "Tom begot Cynthia begot Bertha begot Alex" sort of way. However again I quickly realized how much this added to the book rather than took away from it--for the author, the connection back to Africa is the most important part, so it makes sense such a large chunk of the story takes place there and with "the African ancestor" as the narrator.
I can easily see why Haley's book is considered one of the most important works of American 20th century literature. It deserves that honor, and then some. For those who wonder why the call for racial justice in America is still so strong in 2020, the legacy of Black pain and suffering is laid out in stark detail right here. The repercussions of America's original sin are still with us, and until we make real progress towards correcting the long, ugly legacy of cruelty and injustice, there will continue to be a reckoning.