So far I have read book one of The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. The novel is told by Aminata Diallo who is an elderly woman in England who survived decades in the slave trade. The story is fictional, but is based on true facts and events that took place in American and African History. Her retelling starts at the age of about 11 in Bayo, Africa with her midwife mother and Jeweller father. They were loving parents that taught Aminata, or “Meena”, many skills and languages in the short time they had.
As
they walked on the trails, Meena and her mother were captured by slavers, and
her father came to help shortly after the attack. Both her parents were
murdered during their fight to get free once again. Aminata was then placed in
chains with two others from her village, Fomba and Fanta. The coffle was being
guided to the shore to be held in a boat heading to the United States. Meena
made friends with a boy who was aiding the captors, named Chekura, who helped
her survive the journey. With the help of the lessons she had been taught by
her mother and father along with Chekura, she made it to the vessel which
concluded the first section of the book.
The
novel is filled with very unique characters which have very distinct
characteristics that either compliment or clash with one another. Within the
story, Meena tends to get along with most people, but she has a hard time
connecting with Fanta. Fanta seems to be a very angry person, who struggled
with her average life and is having an even harder time as a captive. For these
reasons I am curious to how her character develops. I believe she is selfish
and cocky, but with that said, I feel she is misunderstood and her anger
towards Aminata is fuelled by something. Fanta is a very clever woman who knows
what needs to be done to survive. Her anger makes me believe that she will
cause a large protest later on in the story.
As I
read the story I am finding it very easy to relate with Aminata and other
characters. Lawrence Hill writes with such description that I can place myself
right in the scene with the characters.
My imagination and Lawrence’s writing style is giving me what I believe
is my greatest strength as a reader: the ability to empathise with characters. As
I read the book my point of view changes from being Aminata herself, to being a
bystander in the chains with them. The connection I build lets me almost
completely understand what is happening in the novel and predict future events
and actions of characters. The imagery
formed in my head also keeps me “hooked” and reading far past my goal.
When
Lawrence Hill wrote The Book of Negroes
I believe he wrote it with the intention of teenage girls and women reading it.
I feel this way because there is an obvious strong female role and he goes deep
into Meena’s feelings and struggles of being a young girl. For example, the
helplessness and embarrassment she felt when she experienced her first period
is something every girl can relate to on some level. That is not to say that men
and boys cannot sympathise with young girls, it is just that the experience is
very unique and something they will never truly understand. Lawrence also focuses on her being strong
through all of her struggles and depicts her as a role model for all women. He also portrays Meena as a very insightful,
caring and intelligent girl; qualities we all wish to have for ourselves and our
children.
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