This is one of the best books that I have ever read.

U.S. edition titled Someone Knows My Name.

This sweeping novel of a woman's journey into and back out of slavery was extremely well-told. I was skeptical that the male author would be able to really capture the intricacies of her skills as a midwife or her feelings as a mother, but I think he did an outstanding job. The travels of the main character, Aminita, through key moments and places in history revealed much about the slave trade and freedom that I did not already know. I loved the descriptions of the "fish net" where stories would travel and people would find out about loved ones who were far away. I thought the title was very well-chosen. The author did a wonderful job of conveying the strong feelings and importance of being inscribed in the "Book of Negroes" as people left NY for Canada. And I found the book very readable despite its despicable subject matter because it didn't get lost in all of the atrocities that could have been described in detail. Instead it focused on the bigger context -- without glossing over the horrible realities of the period -- by focusing on the journey of this (somewhat implausibly lucky) strong main character.

SO good. Allllmost 5 stars, but not quite...

This book was engaging from the very beginning. It is told from the perspective of Aminata Diallo as an old woman who is in London helping the cause of the abolitionists. The story follows Aminata from her childhood in a small village in Africa (what is now Mali) where she is kidnapped and marched to the coast to be put on a slave ship to America, and eventually to London where she is writing her life story. I found it interesting to see not only the life of a typical slave on a plantation, but to see the life of Aminata who, although she suffered many tragedies, was also given many extraordinary opportunities. Even though, for a slave, there were times when her conditions were very good, she was still not free. It showed the real value of freedom, especially to someone like Aminata.

I learned a lot from this book that I did not know before, especially about free or escaped Blacks living in the north and their relationship and dealings with the British during and after the Revolutionary War. Always a bonus to have a book that is both entertaining and educational. The author provides a good listing at the end of the book of sources he consulted which I may delve into in the future.

It was interesting to learn about the history of the black loyalists which I wasn't aware of. Overall I found the story moving, although portions of Aminata's life seemed pretty far-fetched in order to advance the narrative. I was in awe of her resilience and dedication to finding freedom.

Possibly the best book I've read this year. I can tell it's a good book when I keep missing my stop on the train when I'm reading it - I could not put this book down. It's not everyday that you read a book with such a strong female protagonist. Her experience speaks for itself, it doesn't need to be embellished or poeticized. The Book of Negroes isn't just about slavery, it's about what people are capable of doing to each other, for better or for worse.

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would. I was worried it was going to be too difficult to read over the holidays, but it ended up being such a compelling story and such likable characters that it was really easy to read. It probably helps that you know from the beginning that Aminata makes it out of slavery. It’s certainly not the most realistic or typical slave narrative out there ... Aminata has certain advantages that keep her in better conditions than were typical and manages to miraculously avoid worse treatment than she got. It is certainly not a white-washed version of slavery .... Aminata herself is lucky and recognizes it, but the reader gets to see life for others through her experiences along the way. Aminata recognizes her own good fortune. And that good fortune makes the book more enjoyable to read overall. And the arc of Aminata’s life is fascinating. I’d definitely recommend this book.

Hill writes an engaging and interesting story of a life that evolves from freedom to slavery and back again. Despite tackling a dark subject, this book stays hopeful and positive, and Hill does a great job of introducing engaging secondary characters that would be simple, ignorable or flat in most other stories. You don't want to put this book down, until you've finished following Aminata's life and journey.