_Someone Knows My Name_ by Lawrence Hill
A while back when I wasn’t sure what book to read next, my BFF suggested this title to me. So, I downloaded it and though I took a bit of time (for me anyway) to get through it, it was not from a lack of interest. π
This story is written in a memoir-like style, though it is fiction, and follows the life of Aminata Diallo. Aminata is captured at a young age from her home tribe in Africa and taken to the US south to be a slave. Luckily for Aminata, she was young and smart enough to make herself useful with skills that would allow her to continue to succeed through the various stages of the US independence from Britain and freedom of slaves throughout the East Coast up to Canada. Although she has trials and tribulations, she is able to survive.
From the information at the end of the book, it is clear that Hill did a lot of research to ground the story in facts from life stories, historical documents and the Book of Negroes, which I had not really heard about until this book. This is what made the story different from other fictional novels as it was almost easy to forget that it wasn’t a true memoir.
I enjoyed the style and readability of the novel quite a lot. Since I have always been fascinated by the history of slavery, it was also a good refresher of history. I was often reminded of Harriett Beecher Stowe’s _Uncle Tom’s Cabin_ in much of this book and yet it was different, modern enough to be its own.
This is a definite recommended reading, if you are interested in history. Thanks, Jess for the recommendation! π
More to come…
-T
