This is a fictional retelling of a real historical period where slaves who fought on the British side during the American Revolution were offered sanctuary in Nova Scotia and then later shipped to Freetown in Sierra Leone.

The book follows the story of one African girl, Aminata, who is captured, sold into slavery, runs away, and becomes one of the blacks who works for the British. She writes the names of the black folks who have qualified for the British offer in "The Book of Negroes." But once they get to Nova Scotia, they find life is hard, the Brits don't follow through on giving them the land they were promised, and race riots decimate the black community. Aminata takes up the offer to be shipped to Sierra Leone, where she hopes to find her way back to the village where she was born.

I found the book to be just a little didactic in areas - it was obvious that Hill is trying to teach about lesser-known history of black folks in Canada. However, Aminata is such a likeable and relatable character that it doesn't matter. I liked this and am curious now about the miniseries based on the book.