That Special Book (Journal 13)

Asking a girl who has over 5,000 books to write about “that” special one is surely a form of cruel and unusual punishment.  Where do I even begin?  Could you clarify the question?  How about that special novel?  Or that special children's book?  Or that special nonfiction book?  Honestly, there are so many to choose from.  I could pick that special book from each of my 42 bookshelves, but that might take a while.  So, how about we compromise?  Instead of that “special” book, I'll tell you about one of the books I'm reading right now.  Will that suffice?  My book club chose Lawrence Hill's SomeoneKnows My Name as this month's book.  It was originally published as The Book of Negroes, but the title was changed for publication in America.  It is a novel of great scope and imagination that follows the life and travels of a woman, Aminata Diallo, who was stolen into slavery, survived the Middle Passage, was enslaved on a Gullah-speaking Carolina island indigo plantation, escaped to freedom in New York City, served the British Loyalists during the Revolution, was relocated as a free woman to Nova Scotia and then again to Sierra Leone, and ultimately ends her life in London arguing for an end to slavery in front of Parliament and the king himself.  Aminata's narrative voice carries echoes of the many places she has been, the many lives she has led, and the many sorrows she carries with her.  Above all, she is a survivor and her story is compelling.  This is a fantastic book because Aminata is such a compelling character and the history is extremely well-researched.  I highly recommend it!