A review by abigail_ted
A Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw (Dodo Press) by James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw

It feels a little strange to rate this, given that it is essentially a religious testimony produced by and for Calvinist evangelicals. Not only is this text hugely significant in British/Black-British literary history, but it is utterly fascinating for a multitude of reasons. I've read this a few times, and I always find the end extremely sad. After detailing years of miserable trials living in poverty in various English towns - including when not a single church would agree to bury his dead child, and when one eventually did, the reverend refused to read a funeral service - we end the narrative learning that Gronniosaw and his wife still live in dire poverty, concluding with a gentle plea for any assistance from the religious community this book would be distributed to.