West African Narratives of Slavery: Texts from Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Ghana [Paperback]

Slavery in Africa existed for hundreds of years before it was abolished in the late 19th century. Yet, we know little about how enslaved individuals, especially those who never left Africa, talked about their experiences. Collecting never before published or translated narratives of Africans from southeastern Ghana, Sandra E. Greene explores how these writings reveal the thoughts, emotions, and memories of those who experienced slavery and the slave trade. Greene considers how local norms and the circumstances behind the recording of the narratives influenced their content and impact. This unprecedented study affords unique insights into how ordinary West Africans understood and talked about their lives during a time of change and upheaval.

Greene (Cornell) presents and analyzes five previously unpublished or untranslated narratives of slavery to make a substantial contribution to historical scholarship on slavery in West Africa. These narratives take a variety of formsa life history, two biographical accounts, a diary, and an oral historyand describe the experiences of individuals and communities with the institution of slavery. What makes this book tremendously valuable, particularly for undergraduates, is how Greene examines the historical, literary, and cultural contexts in which each narrative was produced. In particular, the author pays careful attention to how the narratives were recorded and by whom. Each narrative is preceded by a map with locations of the places discussed in the text as well as a chronology of important events, providing readers with the appropriate tools to engage in an informed reading of the narratives. A must have for academic libraries supporting an undergraduate curriculum in Africana studies. Summing Up: Essential. General and undergraduate collections. Choice

Testimonies of slavery and the slave trade

A Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 2011

Sandra E. Greene is Professor of History at Cornell Univel“z