The Book of Negroes

'A beautiful, compelling artifice, spun from unspeakably savage facts . . . a fiction that faces the terrible truth about slavery' The Times

WINNER OF THE COMMONWEALTH PRIZE FOR FICTION

Based on a true story, Lawrence Hill's epic novel spans three continents and six decades to bring to life a dark and shameful chapter in our history through the story of one brave and resourceful woman.

Abducted from her West African village at the age of eleven and sold as a slave in the American South, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom - and of finding her way home again.

After escaping the plantation, torn from her husband and child, she passes through Manhattan in the chaos of the Revolutionary War, is shipped to Nova Scotia, and then joins a group of freed slaves on a harrowing return odyssey to Africa.


What readers are saying:

'Beautifully written ... an enlightening read'
'Since reading, this has become my favourite book ever'
***** 'A powerful historical account of an incredible woman's journey'

“Hill's novel is a beautiful, compelling artifice, spun from unspeakably savage facts.... a fiction that faces the terrible truth about slavery”

The Times
A colossal achievement... heartrending yet inspiring Independent on Sunday
The ebb and flow of Aminata's fortunes is gripping stuff, with the horrors inflicted upon her and her people brought to life almost matter-of-factly - and all the more enraging for that Daily Mail
Richly meticulous recreation of late 18th century slave life... in its grand historical sweep, The Book of Negroes succeeds admirably in giving voice to a captive people who were for so long kept mute -- Stephen Amidon The Sunday Times
Wears its thorough research lightly... fitting that this ambitious revision of slave narratives should have won the overall Commonwealth Writers' Prize in the year that the American electorate demolished one of its most persistent categories of exclusion Independent
Epic... a compelling tale well told... an important story to tell, one that gives a sense of individuality to people who might otherwise be drowned out in the tragic chorus of history The Times Literary Supplement
[Hill] has an easy style and a fine sense of pace that make this a gripping, if horrifying story Financial Times
Wonderfully written... populated by vivid characters and rendered in fascinating detail The New York Times
Lawrence Hill's hugely impressive historical work is completely engrossing and deserves a wide, international readership Washington Post
A powerful indictment of the way in which so many innocent victims were robbed of everything dear to them Yorkshire Evening Post

Lawrence Hill was born in Ontario, Canada of a black father and a white mother. He is the author of a memoir, Black Berry, Sweet Juice, a work of non-fiction, The Deserter's Tale, and two other novels. His third novel, The Book of Negroes (published in the US as Somebody Knows My Name) was a no.1 bestseller in Canada, and won the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book.

Abducted from her West African village at the age of eleven and sold as a slave in the American South, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom - and of finding her way home again.After escaping the plantation, torn from her husband and child, she passes through Manhattan in the chaos of the Revolutionary War, is shipped to Nova Scotia, and then joins a group of freed slaves on a harrowing return odyssey to Africa. Lawrence Hill's epic novel, winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, spans three continents and six decades to bring to life a dark and shameful chapter in our history through the story of one brave and resourceful woman.

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