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Synopsis
In the search for his family tree, which had been cruelly uprooted 300 years ago by the inhumanity of slavery, in the early 1990s Paul Crooks undertook an amazing journey from suburban North London to the Caribbean and from there to the Gold Coast of Africa where his story originally began. His account of the quest to trace his lost ancestors is the gripping theme of this novel - fiction based on terrible fact.
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The boy dreamt that he was suffocating. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The boy dreamt that he was suffocating. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"A moving tale of a black British family that travels through the ages from slavery and beyond" was the review written by Bonnie Greer,of the Guardian.
I saw this reviewed a while ago in one of the genealogical magazines. I recently had a look at my Amazon wishlist and decided to make the purchase. I am so glad I did. What an incrediable journey the author has taken. Written in a fictionalised style, based upon research both in the UK and Jamaica, this follows the lives and without a doubt, hardships of the the author's ancestors. Transported as a young boy into slavery from Africa to Jamaica. In Jamaica he is given a new name "August" and set to work as a slave on the various plantations. He marries the daughter of the woman who looked after him on the ship, and they together build their lives bound to a "master" up until the time the slaves were set free.
The journey of the author is detailed in the Appendix and the highs and lows of his research and the emotions that he experienced are ones that many family historians can identify with. This is quite simply a fascinating book and a labour of love.
I saw this reviewed a while ago in one of the genealogical magazines. I recently had a look at my Amazon wishlist and decided to make the purchase. I am so glad I did. What an incrediable journey the author has taken. Written in a fictionalised style, based upon research both in the UK and Jamaica, this follows the lives and without a doubt, hardships of the the author's ancestors. Transported as a young boy into slavery from Africa to Jamaica. In Jamaica he is given a new name "August" and set to work as a slave on the various plantations. He marries the daughter of the woman who looked after him on the ship, and they together build their lives bound to a "master" up until the time the slaves were set free.
The journey of the author is detailed in the Appendix and the highs and lows of his research and the emotions that he experienced are ones that many family historians can identify with. This is quite simply a fascinating book and a labour of love.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a story, where I was actually able to image my own ancestors in the roles. Very moving in parts and loved the use of patois dialogue. This didn't keep me gripped to the very end, as familiar characters disappeared through deaths, deportations and the story's pace seem to slow, which probably echoed the characters frustration while waiting for emancipation in the story. A good read about black African Caribbean and British history.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Firstly I would like to commend Paul Crooks for this book. It provided a descriptive insight into the lives of the Slaves in the West Indies. It's one of the best narratives that I have EVER read...and I've read a lot of books!
From start to finish I was completely enthralled by this detailed account of Slave Life. I felt my heart sinking when I had reached the final page. The Family Tree and afterward was very interesting and has provided me with the anchor to learn about my own ancestors.
I only hope that this was an introductory installment of what's to come in the future. Don’t stop there!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A MOST INFORMATIVE AND ENGROSSING READ
Ancestors is a quite remarkable book. Whether as a piece of historical fiction or retrospective autobiography, the atttention to detail is fantastic considering the time period and... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2002 by johnsingh
A MOST INFORMATIVE AND ENGROSSING READ
Ancestors is a quite remarkable book. Whether as a piece of historical fiction or retrospective autobiography, the atttention to detail is fantastic considering the time period and... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2002 by johnsingh
Excellent Read. A wonderful Journey.
I can honestly say that it is one enjoyable book. Breath taking. Paul Crooks is an excellent writer who can appeal to many people. Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2002
An important book. Tragic, compelling and enlightening.
I wanted to read this book so when I bought it I read it in just a couple of days. After the first few pages, I realised I was hooked. For the most part I cried torrents. Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2002
An epic story. Magnificent and inspiring.
I heard of Paul Crooks' 13 year quest to find his African slave ancestors on the radio 4. One might be tempted to compare to Roots, Don't. Read it for what it is - stand alone. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2002
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