I have to pass along a great thanks to my friend Barb for inviting me up to spend time with her friends, Larry and Miranda Hill. Although I had to abandon half my plans for the Doors Open Toronto thing, it was well worth it. Larry is a warm and friendly person and it was an interesting evening of conversation. Larry is an author (Lawrence Hill) and his latest book titled Book of Negroes, was selected as the Canada Reads book (see my earlier blog). Larry was up to speak at the annual meeting of the Collingwood Hospital and is their key note speaker at the Sunday night’s dinner.
If you want to read a CBC interview with Larry (Lawrence) go here.I read the novel this spring after it was announced as the Canada Reads book... It is a great read - I enjoyed it immensely and you will too if you enjoy historical fiction. I had thought I had blogged about it - but cannot find the reference to the specific blog so perhaps not. In any case you can go here for more about the book.
I ended up staying Saturday night as well – more opportunities which could not be refused! I will tell you about my Saturday adventures and the splendid “Girl’s" dinner for 5 we had on the Saturday night in tomorrow’s blog.
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I subscribe to audible.com. I searched autdible.com for "Book of Negroes". The book was not found. I then searched for Lawrence Hill. I found an audio book called "Someone Knows my Name". The publisher's summary sounds like the same story.
ReplyDelete"Aminata Diallo is the beguiling heroine of Lawrence Hill's Someone Knows My Name. In it, Hill exquisitely imagines the tale of an 18th-century woman's life, spanning six decades and three continents. The fascinating story that Hill tells is a work of the soul and the imagination. Aminata is a character who will stir listeners, from her kidnapping from Africa through her journeys back and forth across the ocean.
Enslaved on a South Carolina plantation, Aminata works in the indigo fields and as a midwife. When she is bought by an entrepreneur from Charleston, she is torn from friends and family. The chaos of the Revolutionary War allows her to escape.
In British-held Manhattan, she helps pen the Book of Negroes, a list of blacks rewarded for wartime service to the king with safe passage to Nova Scotia. During her travels in Canada, Sierra Leone, and England, Aminata strives for her freedom and that of her people - even when it comes at a price.
In this captivating novel, Hill portrays one woman's remarkable spirit and strength in the face of adversity, and he brings to life crucial and little-known chapters in world history."
I do like historical fiction; I may download this book for my next audiobook selection.
Actually, I neglected to mention that the book has a different title as published in the USA. Although there is a real historical document called "The Book of Negroes", apparently it was thought to be an inappropriate title for a book published in the US. So you have the right book. It is a really good read - I would highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI just read some reader reviews and found this one:
ReplyDelete"My friend in Toronto told me I must read this book. So, I looked for the title it goes by in Canada, The Book of Negroes. I couldn't find it at first and then as I was about to order it from a Canadian bookseller, I noticed that the cover was the same as a book here called Someone Knows My Name. My detective work finished, I can now say that this book is as good as my friend said, even better."
I put the book in my wish list. This book requires 2 credits; I have just 1 credit at the moment. I'll receive 2 more credits at the end of the month. This will be my next read!