Someone Knows My Name

One of the best and saddest and most emotional movies I've ever seen is Amistad. It's about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and it's a moving film, to say the least. I think everyone should see that film. Likewise, I think everyone should read this book. Especially if you don't know much about the slave trade or haven't read slave narratives.

Someone Knows My Name is historical fiction and is one of the best books I've ever read. The characters are beautifully rich. The details of the life and death of those involved in the slave trade from Africa to America are stellar. Lawrence Hill did his research. Everything in his book seems believable, yet so unbelievable because of the cruelty and injustice.

Be forewarned: this is a heavy book. It is haunting. The topic is evil at its finest. A 12-year-old African girl is kidnapped from her village and sold into slavery. She experiences kindness, hatred, love, indifference, ignorance, raw fear, and a plethora of other things as she survives the trip across the Atlantic, becoming a South Carolina slave on an indigo plantation.

The book is compelling - but long. It's well written with beautiful language, developed characters, and a moving plot, so it doesn't seem as long as some books. It could also be that the topic is so heavy that one can only read so much at a time before becoming heavy-hearted.

This is not a typical beach read. It's a not a book to read when you just want to pick up a book and be entertained. And yet I was entertained because it's a a book about humanity, culture, and history - all wrapped up in a good story. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.