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.