Black History Month

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Gregory O'Malley

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This year's choice for February's Black History Month, I picked An Odyssey of Slavery, Freedom anad the American Revolution.

5 stars

Very well researched. What called me to it is that David is not a tale of a runaway slave from the 19th century as many books and stories depict, but the 1742. This happens before pre-revolutionary eras, before famous slave narratives, even before the Underground Railroad. So he didn't follow many patterns or known routes that salves after will be safe, for exempla he runs south, living among the Creek nation, survives Nova Scotia, and helps to found a colony in Sierra Leone. A valuable educational tool.

David is going to flee towards the British Army, which gives us a different perspective on American History. I loved his courage, hiding in plain sight. It has some violent descriptions (which are hard to escape due to the theme), but they are very short. It's mostly a fast-paced read with an informative focus and a very adventurous tone. He is not only one of the first to escape, but healso changed the history of the Black Baptist Church in North America as a preacher.

There are emotional chapters. One of the strongest ones is related to smallpox and how David does what he thinks is right to save his family. I also loved all of the chapters related to the Creek Nation. (They are very rich in research, history, and culture).