Review and Discussion: Someone Knows My Name
August 30th, 2010 § 17 Comments
by Lawrence Hill
Published by W.W. Norton
November 2007
470 pages
my rating: 10/10
welcome to the August Readalong selection for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize winning book, The Book of Negroes. i read this under the title Someone Knows My Name (as it is sold in the U.S.) and i’ll comment on the titles in just a bit…
i just have to start by saying that i found this book to be phenomenal, and my review and comments may be tainted by my absolute adoration for the characters, the writing, and most of all, the unforgettable story. i’m not usually one to get all bent out of shape over plots, but Someone Knows My Name was just unrelenting and i was completely absorbed for the entire duration. and though this was not a short book, by any means, i was captivated and couldn’t put it down until the last page.
Synopsis from goodreads.com
Abducted from Africa as a child and enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom—and of the knowledge she needs to get home. Sold to an indigo trader who recognizes her intelligence, Aminata is torn from her husband and child and thrown into the chaos of the Revolutionary War. In Manhattan, Aminata helps pen the Book of Negroes, a list of blacks rewarded for service to the king with safe passage to Nova Scotia. There Aminata finds a life of hardship and stinging prejudice. When the British abolitionists come looking for “adventurers” to create a new colony in Sierra Leone, Aminata assists in moving 1,200 Nova Scotians to Africa and aiding the abolitionist cause by revealing the realities of slavery to the British public. This captivating story of one woman’s remarkable experience spans six decades and three continents and brings to life a crucial chapter in world history.
The Review
this might be a long one, so feel free to skip down to the Discussion questions if you just want to jump right in. i will keep it SPOILER FREE, but proceed into the comments section with caution.
the history embedded in the story, the capturing of native Africans, forced to trek across their country and travel across the ocean in terrifying conditions to be sold into slavery, was meticulously researched and detailed. though a work of fiction, the book absolutely provided both a history lesson and a great read, and even though i was familiar with much of the historical context, there was still so much that i learned. for example, i was mostly unaware of the African and British involvement in the slave trade. i also had no idea that so many slaves were able to gain their “freedom” through British escort to Canada, or that some were eventually able to return to Africa in freedom, again supported by the British. these aspects of the history are less talked about within the landscape of slavery, but are certainly not any less important. through Aminata, we see the vastness of that history and the far reaches of its impacts.
Some say that I was uncommonly beautiful, but I wouldn’t wish beauty on any woman who has not her own freedom, and who chooses not the hands that claim her.
the scope of characters and plot really served to draw me in as a reader. Aminata is introduced to us as a free, black elderly woman, a survivor of slavery, recounting her story to help put an end to both the slave trade and slavery as a whole. in this way, we know very early in the novel that hers will be a story of immense struggles and small triumphs, because if nothing else, she is still alive to tell it.
This is my name. This is who I am. This is how I got here.
the absolutely raw and vivid immersion style of writing really provoked a visceral response for me and never let up. Aminata is a complex character and narrator, stubborn and strong, compassionate and giving, and she seemed so very human that it was easy to forget that she was a fictional character (and one written by a man no less). i was actually surprised by the complexity of her various relationships with her owners and employers and though i liked some more than others, was simply surprised that i “liked” any of them at all. the supporting characters were all equally human, particularly Chekura and Georgia for me, and i found myself in tears several times throughout the book, sharing in every emotion, joyous, hopeful and often aching with sadness.
the writing style, in many ways, mimics the oral tradition of Africa and helps to suspend the reader in the native African culture, particularly early in the novel. simple effectual phrasings, such as giving a child’s age in number of rains, or time in number of moons, and distance in stone throws helped to provide the cultural context framing the entire narrative. additionally, by removing us from the familiar context of our own cultures and re-presenting it to us from Aminata’s view, we see, for example, a white man, in an entirely new way.
He didn’t have much of a backside, and he walked like an elephant. Thump, thump, thump. His heels struck the earth with the rudeness of a falling tree.
this provided both comic relief and a sense of tragedy, depending on the situations, but always served to create the necessary imagery to invoke an emotional response.
as expected, this is a story of immense suffering, for the individuals impacted by the slaves. Hill does an amazing job of providing the story in balance, showing the failings of both the native Africans who enslaved their own people, the British and American captors that transported the slaves in the most abhorrent conditions imaginable, and the American and Canadian political systems that perpetuated the trade of human lives. that story, all true, is not for the faint of heart and Hill doesn’t step away, or try to shield the reader from the graphic details of the filth, disease, abuse, and massive amounts of death.
The stars were brilliant that night, and the cicadas were crying in endless song. If the sky was so perfect, why was the earth all wrong?
but, as i mentioned, the novel brings balance and every amount of suffering is outweighed and often overshadowed by beauty and hope. even among the brutality and suffering of being captured, Aminata was able to utilize what her parents had given her in the time that she had with them before she was made a slave. she often recalled their wisdom, their faces and voices, to keep her strong and allow her to survive. she loved deeply, vulnerably, and reading about it was more than just words on a page, it was an experience.
lastly, i just want to comment on the title The Book of Negroes. this actually didn’t mean anything to me until after i’d read the book. i was completely unaware of the historical book with the same title and received an entire education about it and felt rather enlightened by it all. that said, after having read the book, i LOVE the title Someone Knows My Name and i get a little choked up just thinking about it. the names of the various characters still echo in my mind and the significance of the story lingers with them.
so, if it isn’t glaringly obvious, i LOVED this book and think it should be required reading. it is both meaningful and lovely, and that is a rare and beautiful thing.
other reviews
Bibliosue
Farm Lane Books
Giraffe Days
Reading Through Life
The Book Whisperer
comment below with your link if i missed yours and i’ll add it to the list!
Discussion Feeder
these are just some things that jumped out at me that you can answer if you have thoughts. feel free to pose your own questions and comments to the mix!
- Do you have a preferred title between the two, The Book of Negroes and Someone Knows My Name?
- The novel defines freedom from various perspectives (slaves, Americans, free blacks, etc.). How did the novel impact your feeling towards freedom?
- This was a book with the potential for some pretty heavy emotional responses. How did this book resound for you in your own life, if at all?
…and a reminder, for September
the winning selection is the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction winner, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. we seem to be on an Africa kick here, which i’m actually very happy with, so i’ll go with it. :)
i will have the sign-up page for September up shortly, as well as the poll for October’s selection.
Great review, Lisa, and thanks for linking to my (inferior) thoughts on the book.
I read it with the title of The Book of Negroes, but after reading it I think the U.S. title Someone Knows My Name is more fitting; all through the novel I felt that Aminata held on to the power of her name and made sure that she knew the names of those around her as well. Having a name meant you were somebody, not chattel.
I agree with you that the male author was able to create an amazing female character
haha, no problem. your review was lovely and i think you brought up a couple great points that i hadn’t considered, like the circular nature of the story and the notions of freedom in modern society. the book definitely makes us consider how freedom works today, doesn’t it?
going into the novel, I was sort of ambivalent towards the title Someone Knows My Name, but you are so right about the power of the name. i loved the part when Aminata met the little girl named Aminata on her return trip to Africa. there were so many moments that just made me smile like that, which says a lot since it was such a painful subject. did you have a favorite character or name?
as for Hill being a man and writing a woman, i was just blown away. how does a man write a daughter and a mother and a wife and a strong independent woman so freaking well??
I loved the names she gave her children – again full of meaning.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed this. I loved it too (My review: http://www.farmlanebooks.co.uk/?p=5327)
I prefer The Book of Negroes title. I wasn’t sure until I reached the point in the book when we were introduced to the actual Book of Negroes, but once I heard of that I felt it was a much more appropriate. It was interesting to read Suzanne’s comment above though – I get her point of view too. Either way I just wish they’d stuck to one title – it gets so confusing in the global blogging world!
i’m guessing that the title was changed in the U.S. because of the weight that it might carry. even though we are centuries past slavery, the word negro still holds a lot of unspoken negativity. in the case of this title, it’s actually hopeful and reminds me a bit of Shindler’s List, but i do understand why there is an alternate. but, it can definitely be confusing for us as bloggers!
i absolutely loved the scene when they name The Book of Negroes, and definitely had a lightbulb moment then. but, the same holds true for the moment when Chekura says “someone knows my name” to Aminata.
i didn’t mention it in my review, but you had brought up the point in your review about this book not being so literary. i definitely agree and would probably put this in the historical fiction category myself.
I didn’t even spot the “someone knows my name” section – shows how observant I am!! I like your comparison the Schindler’s list – very similar ideas behind the titles.
I’d agree that it is historical fiction. For some reason I always forget about that genre!
hah, i didn’t even think about it when i wrote it, but Schindler’s List has two titles as well (Schindler’s Ark, i believe, is the other).
and the scene i was referring to was very early on, right around the time when Chekura goes from grunt boy to captive, and he presses Aminata into repeating his name. and i think from that point forward, it’s as Suzanne mentioned above, about how Aminata made it a point to remember everyones names and the idea begins to hold so much more importance.
even Aminata’s name has that value, i think. we keep seeing her referred to as Mary or Meena, and she is always taken by surprise when she hears her actual name. it always serves as a reminder of where she came from and what she has lost.
I read this a few months ago, and I absolutely adored it. Honestly, I prefer the title The Book of Negroes, but I can understand the appeal of Someone Knows My Name as well. Like you, I was also really astonished by the fantastic job that the male writer did in portraying a strong female character!
i’m always blown away when an author can really get into the depths with a character the way Hill did with Aminata, presenting her as if he was her, or had been her in another life. i was always in awe of Aminata’s strength and resolve and almost felt like i was actually reading her book, not Hills.
p.s. i added your review to the list above.
I loved this book – it was my favourite book I read in 2009
I’ve started reading one of his earlier books, Any Known Blood, which so far is very good.
You missed my review! Here: http://www.giraffedays.com/?p=998
your review is excellent! thank you so much for the linky. i’ve added it above.
you mentioned the balance and objectivity that Hill provides and i had noticed the same. i wonder if it has to do with the fact that Hill himself is half black and half white.
i’ll be really interested to see your review of Any Known Blood. i was so blown away by this one that i’m pretty sure i’d give anything of his a try now.
Thanks for mentioning Any Known Blood. I’m going to check it out as well.
I don’t usually read books like this, but you’ve encouraged me to expand my reading boundaries. Nice review, thanks.
yay! that makes me so happy. i really hope you enjoy it and will be interested to hear what you think of it. if you want, come back after and join in the discussion or just link up to your review and i’ll add it to our list.
That is very interesting Stone Island
never have I ever read a book like this. This is the kind of book that should be required in schools. It was not just fiction, it was real.
[...] it seems like a new and vibrant language altogether. i’ve felt this in the past when i read Someone Knows My Name and The God of Small Things, and now again with this [...]