Book #6 of 2022! (I bought this for Black History Month but only got to it recently.)
On the occasion of World Book (and Copyright) Day, I am reviewing a book that is close to my heart and is dear to millions of readers around the world: Twelve Years A Slave. It isn’t just any Black history novel. It is the classic that brings a very heart-wrenching and truthful narration of slavery. (It is the greatest stain of humankind.)
Solomon Northup (remember his name), the free man who was kidnapped into slavery and endured the inflicted cruelties of life that were a million times worse than hell, clearly stated at the start of the book: "I can speak of Slavery only so far as it came under my observation… My inject is to give a candid and truthful statement of facts…"
His intention was to give his version of slavery and not a glimpse of what every slave felt, because throughout these twelve years, he was passed around between different “Masters”; some with hints of compassion, some downright monstrous. The latter filled Solomon’s life (which he soon questioned if it even was one) with a void of only darkness. When a mother who was so painfully separated from her enslaved children died, Solomon thought: “She was free at last!”
She was free at last!
One line was all it took to describe slavery; irrespective of those who so unluckily faced it. In a later chapter, Solomon accounts how fear was really the only constant throughout his life as a slave. Fear was ingrained into their bodies and souls that there was never a waking moment when the fatigued slaves hadn’t felt safe.
Saving you from many more ghastly details (because I pray you read this), I got to say that the reliability of Solomon is unquestionable. There are instances where he goes in length describing the exact process of building a tool or the process of cotton-picking. Added with powerful emotions, you feel as if you are him - but at the same time you will feel immense gratitude for the privileged lives we have compared to his.
I can speak of Slavery only so far as it came under my observation… My inject is to give a candid and truthful statement of facts…
This novel was absolutely a page turner. But there were times when I dreaded reading further because I couldn’t fathom anything crueler than what I just read. Tears will be shed, laughter perhaps not so much, but the ending is — as David Fiske wrote in the introduction — one of the greatest moments in literature.
Have you read this yet? Drop a message if you loved this review :)
Can’t wait to read this! Thank you for reading and reviewing this one ❤️