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Aminata (2011)

by Lawrence Hill(Favorite Author)

4.41 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

2890242080 (ISBN13: 9782890242081)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Les Editions de la Pleine Lune

review 1: This book chronicles the life of a woman through being kidnapped from Africa, then taken to America to become a slave, to getting out of slavery and her experiences as a marginalized woman throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. This would be a great book for a novel study in a high school classroom IF I knew my students were mature enough to deal with the content of the book and IF I had permission from parents who may find it offensive due to the graphic nature of the book.
review 2: Fully realised and emotionally inescapable, The Book of Negroes brings humanity to the atrocities of history. It is, in turns, infuriating, heart-warming, eye-opening, and inspiring. Hill's protagonist, the unforgettable Amidata Diallo, brings a precocious wisdom to the horrors s... morehe endures and vividly paints the case against slavery from the colours of her life. Meticulously researched, the intersections with history, especially history that defies the present Canadian narrative (that the True North was a bastion of freedom and safety for escaping slaves), brings gravity and momentum to Amidata's journey, elevating it from an individual struggle to a symbolic one. Whether rubbing elbows with historic abolitionists, fellow 'adventurers' in Sierra Leone, or those simply caught up in the winds of change, Amidata stands for the nameless thousands whose causes were championed by these larger-than-life figures. Samuel Fraunces, Thomas Peters, and John Clarkson are rendered as idiosyncratic humans whose historical legacies make their short-comings all the more lovable. Other characters, suffer for this symbolic weight. Solomon Lindo, although suitably nuanced in himself, is a challenging symbol to a Jewish reader especially insofar as his story concludes with an if-it-walks-like-a-duck-and-quacks-like-a-duck... message. I don't have enough historical knowledge to challenge Lindo as a symbol of Judaism in the American Colonies and am disappointed beyond words that such a refutation may not be possible. To be clear, Hill's depiction is no anti-Semitic charictature and goes far beyond Shylock-ish tropes. Lindo is unique among the slave-owners in Amidata's journey in that he obviously feels temptation that he does not act upon. His transgressions against Amidata are subtle when compared to her more stereotypical previous owner, but are no less heinous when brought to light. There is the ring of truth in his stumbling, imperfect act of contrition and in the lack of closure between him and Amidata. The world of Amidata is rich and clearly drawn. The rhythm of life in Africa, the colonies, Sierra Leone, and London are all recreated in detail. Hill's narration and voice are musical and plot drives briskly. There is some repetition in the sequence of events and come suspension of disbelief around the number of secondary characters who take terrible risks to aid Amidata but, overall, the integrity of the narrative is strong and the characters are so colourful that much more coincidence could be forgiven. Any novel that sheds such penetrating light on history intentionally obscured deserves a place on honour in literature's cannon. A novel that does so with such humanity, clarity, and complexity - without resorting to caricature or popular tropes- is an especially rare achievement. The Book of Negroes is the definition of a must-read; informative and provoking of thought and feeling. less

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Reviews (see all)

naleena

Excellent read. This man really did his homework. Appreciated that he took time to understand the Muslim issue as well. Granted he writes about Muslims living in a tribe in Africa initially but took pains to get things right. Historical fiction a great way to get a feel for history if you are not one to wade through dry historical accounts. Quotes I loved:If I live long enough to finish this story, it will outlive me. Long after I have returned to the spirits of my ancestors, perhaps it will wait in the London Library. Sometimes I imagine the first reader to come upon my story. Could it be a girl? Perhaps a woman. A man. An Englishman. An African. One of these people will find my story and pass it along. And then, I believe, I will have lived for a reason.Kind of why I do what I do. NSPerhaps Lindo could explain why Christians and Jews kept Muslims as slaves if we all had the same God and if we all celebrated the flight of the Hebrews from Egypt. Some authors just get it so simple and right.We had an expression in my village. 'Beware the clever man who makes wrong look right.'

Gotmyeyesonthebooks13

I learned an immense amount about the slave trade from England, to Africa, to the Americas, and also to Canada from this well written book. The balance between character development and historical reference was brilliant. I came to feel so deeply for Animata throughout this novel. I cried (again) as I finished the final pages and had to part with this beloved character. Books like these make me deeply and wholly saddened by the brutality of our past, but hopeful for morality in the present and future. Well done.

rockingmohit

Brilliant. I loved it from the start to the finish.

AlexisLove

EPIC!

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