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Book Cover for: Ancestors, Paul Crooks

Ancestors

Paul Crooks

"A moving account of a Black British family that travels through the ages from slavery and beyond" BONNIE GREER

It is the late eighteenth century. Abroad a slave ship bound from West Africa to Jamaica, a terrified young boy is cared for by Ami, a fellow captive, who becomes his surrogate mother during that nightmare voyage. They are sold to separate owners, but their lives remain curiously intertwined, and the boy, now a man named August, marries Ami's daughter, Sarah.

Ancestors tells the story of their lives, their part in the struggle for emancipation, and the hope and faith that sustains them, and is inspired by Paul Crooks' unprecedented success tracing his family history from London, back six generations, to ancestors captured off the West African coast and enslaved on a sugar plantation in Jamaica.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Arcadia Books
  • Publish Date: Oct 29th, 2024
  • Pages: 308
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 7.79in - 5.16in - 1.01in - 0.74lb
  • EAN: 9781901969078
  • Categories: Historical - GeneralLiteraryRomance - African American & Black

About the Author

Paul Crooks devoted 11 years to tracing his African family tree after being told by experts that it would be impossible to find historical records. He persevered, locating documents that led from London to Jamaica to Cuba, and ultimately back to the Gold Coast of Africa--an effort that has brought him international recognition for his breakthroughs in African Caribbean genealogy research. He is the author of Ancestors, a novel based on his family's history.

Praise for this book

A moving account of a Black British family that travels through the ages from slavery and beyond--Bonnie Greer, Guardian
An inspiring piece of literature--New Nation
Fantastic . . . Groundbreaking . . . A riveting read--The Voice
Ancestors is more than a novel. It is a family odyssey--Unison Magazine
Exceptional debut novel. Highly recommended for the whole family--Woman 2 Woman