Book Review: "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Book of Negroes is not my normal fare, but it was a good read all the same. It was simply written and easy to understand. Describing the experiences of an African stolen from her home and forced into slavery from a first person point of view, one would expect more emotionality to be involved and in many cases, the book fails a little in that regard. It seems as if it was almost hazy in the depictions of life as a black slave in the 18th century. That might well be deliberate, as it was written as if the protagonist was looking back on her life.

Despite this, I could not help but feel horrified, or tear up after some episodes.

All throughout the book, there seems to be a bright undercurrent, something profound to say about the human spirit and all it can endure and why.

For those who enjoy historical fiction, this is a must read. For those who do not, I'd read it anyway. It might be good for you!

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