The Book of Negroes/ Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

This is one of the BEST books I have ever read!! It is definitely in my top ten. It is by a Canadian author, Lawrence Hill. In Canada it was published as The Book of Negroes and in the US it was published as Someone Knows My Name. It is about a woman, Aminata, who at 11 was taken from her village in Africa in the mid 1700's and sold into slavery in the US. It chronicles her life from that age, crossing the ocean, becoming deathly ill, sold to an indigo plantation owner, and then sold again, being separated from any friends and loved ones, and so on until she dies as an old woman in England. The writing is amazing, the story is amazing and the characters are amazing. It really made me so grateful for the life I have, because we CAN NOT comprehend what so many people went through for so many years. Some of the stories she tells are horrendous. I don't know a lot about the history of slavery, especially American history so it was really interesting for me to read about what was going on politically during that time. I just thought the author did such a good job of telling a story that didn't place blame on any specific group of people, but to the individuals involved in the slave trade. And obviously there were a lot of them. But this book wasn't a book geared directly for black people. It was written for all people and it humanized a time period that we hear about but don't really get. I've read books that have left me feeling almost guilty for being white, but this book is not like that. Slavery has existed as far back as we know in some form or another. It's really made me pay attention when people use the words "slave" or "slavery." I read something online where someone was complaining about immigration laws in Canada and commented that we're becoming "slaves" while the immigrants get everything for free. I was a little mad because this person probably has never experienced real slavery in any way and to so easily toss that word around made me quite annoyed. (If these people have lived in Canada all their lives then I can pretty much guarantee that they have no idea what slavery is.)
One part I want to mention is when Aminata is first taken from her village and marched for months to the ocean, chained and naked, she has no idea why she is being taken. When she learns that it is to be a slave to the white men across the ocean, she is shocked. She thinks, why would anyone go through all this trouble to capture people and ship them across the ocean, dying and sick, just to do work that they could do themselves?? It's incomprehensible to her. It's incomprehensible to me as well. It was all about power and greed, I suppose. They bought and sold and stole people because they could. Just unbelievable...
Please, read this book if you have any inclination!! Even though there are some terribly tragic and heart-wrenching events in this book, I felt very uplifted and educated reading this book. It made me think about the human spirit and the will to survive and thrive. I thought a lot about what I would do in these situations and how hard I would fight for my freedom.
So there it is. I can't wait to hear from anyone who has read it!

For those of you who are really sensitive, it contains violence and some sexuality (rape, but not graphic).

Authors with a niche...

So lest you think that I LOVE everything I read (because I just finished another one!!) I thought I'd discuss authors that have their niche and stick to it. And I want to know what you think. So I recently read another Jodi Piccoult book. She is the author of My Sister's Keeper. I've read several of hers. Here's the thing: Most of her books that I've read follow a formula. She writes various chapters from various characters points of view. Most of her books have some legal drama as well as medical ethical dilemmas. I enjoy her books, but they're almost all interchangable to me. I pretty much know I'll enjoy it, but it's not anything new. I guess most of them challenge some beliefs I have, but at the same time I can't relate because her characters are so extreme in their choices.
Another author who sticks to one type of story is Nicholas Sparks. He's the one who wrote the Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Message in a Bottle, etc. So all his books are love stories, set in North Carolina, and someone pretty much always dies. I stopped reading his books because they have a little too much sex in them (not all of them, but most of them) and because they are all the same.
So what do you think? Is there an author you love because you know their work and know you'll like it? Or do you crave variety? I guess I like a little of both. Sometimes it's nice to know I'll like something and that I can just read for the entertainment, but I definitely enjoy something totally different.
Well, I just finished an AMAZING book that I'm dying to blog about but it will have to wait until I can truly sit down and tell you about it.