Hill’s historical fiction is a brilliant rendering of the evil of the slave trade juxtaposed against the triumph of Aminata’s will – not only to survive, but to return to the place of her birth. The novel is grand in its scope, moving in its depictions and ultimately redeeming and rewarding for both the reader and the central character.


The novel has been at or near


the top of the bestseller lists for over a year and it isn’t hard to see why. This is Canadian, and global, literature at its best. The Book of Negroes won the 2009 “Canada Reads” contest, won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book, won the Roger’s Writers’ Trust Fiction prize and was long-listed for the Scotiabank/ Giller, Canada’s pre-eminent fiction literary prize. How it didn’t make the short list – or win outright – is a bit mystifying to me.


Hill (whose brother Dan lives


on in Canadian musical history for that weepie classic Hold On) is a prominent author on black history. Much of his interest and passion was inherited from his parents, who were pioneers in human rights/ black history in Canada in the 60s. He’s taken a subject he knows well and fictionalized it beautifully. You’ll enjoy The Book of Negroes immensely if you like quality fiction based on factual events. In the consummate skilled hands of Lawrence Hill, it’s a revelation, and a great pleasure to read.


HHHHHout of five


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Kelli Underhill


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