16 February 2011

SOMEONE KNOWS MY NAME by LAWRENCE HILL

This book was a highly anticipated read. One, it is just the type of book that I really like, historical fiction. Secondly, about 5 or 6 of my book buddies have read it and they have all given it 5 stars. Plus part of the book takes place in Nova Scotia, which is a place that has fascinated me ever since Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island. It is the story of Meena, an African women who is kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of 11. From the minute that she leaves Africa, her whole mission in life is to get back to the village of her birth. Through her triumphs, struggles, joys and pains, Lawrence Hill tells the compelling story of all of the Africans who were victims of the slave trade of the 1700 - 1800s. It also tells of the resilience of these people to survive despite their lot in life and their struggle for freedom. It is a must read book for anyone interested in this struggle or the history of the Africans who have ended up in North America and Europe in general. Although I have read a number of books dealing with this subject, Meena, through Hill's writing, taught me many things. I had never heard of the Black Loyalists nor their emigration to Canada and ultimately back to Africa at Freetown in Sierra Leone. I also did not know that Freetown predated the Liberian colony founded by former US slaves.

My only disappointment with the book was that I just couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars. It was a wonderful story, and as I said above, a must read for people interested in this subject, but it did not WOW me the way some other books have. The interesting thing is that I can't even figure out why. I really feel like I must have missed something since everyone else I know gave it 5 stars. That frustrates me.