African Town
- Downloads：5109
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-01-03 07:19:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Irene Latham
- ISBN：0593322886
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Chronicling the story of the last Africans brought illegally to America in 1860， African Town is a powerful and stunning novel-in-verse。
In 1860， long after the United States outlawed the importation of enslaved laborers， 110 men， women and children from Benin and Nigeria were captured and brought to Mobile， Alabama aboard a ship called Clotilda。 Their journey includes the savage Middle Passage and being hidden in the swamplands along the Alabama River before being secretly parceled out to various plantations， where they made desperate attempts to maintain both their culture and also fit into the place of captivity to which they'd been delivered。 At the end of the Civil War， the survivors created a community for themselves they called African Town， which still exists to this day。 Told in 14 distinct voices， including that of the ship that brought them to the American shores and the founder of African Town， this powerfully affecting historical novel-in-verse recreates a pivotal moment in US and world history， the impacts of which we still feel today。
In 1860， long after the United States outlawed the importation of enslaved laborers， 110 men， women and children from Benin and Nigeria were captured and brought to Mobile， Alabama aboard a ship called Clotilda。 Their journey includes the savage Middle Passage and being hidden in the swamplands along the Alabama River before being secretly parceled out to various plantations， where they made desperate attempts to maintain both their culture and also fit into the place of captivity to which they'd been delivered。 At the end of the Civil War， the survivors created a community for themselves they called African Town， which still exists to this day。 Told in 14 distinct voices， including that of the ship that brought them to the American shores and the founder of African Town， this powerfully affecting historical novel-in-verse recreates a pivotal moment in US and world history， the impacts of which we still feel today。
Reviews
Carol Curley
，
This was a very powerful book to start the new year。 Never learned this in History！
Chris G。
，
In 1805 it became illegal to import and enslave people from Africa， but in 1860， some Alabama men organized and financed a voyage to Dahomey， where the King was kidnapping and selling his own citizens。 Multiple voices in a variety of formats tell the story of the ship Clotilda and the one hundred and ten men and women who were captured， carried away from Dahomey， and enslaved in Alabama。 To conceal the crime the white Alabamans had committed， many of those aboard the Clotilda were enslaved withi In 1805 it became illegal to import and enslave people from Africa， but in 1860， some Alabama men organized and financed a voyage to Dahomey， where the King was kidnapping and selling his own citizens。 Multiple voices in a variety of formats tell the story of the ship Clotilda and the one hundred and ten men and women who were captured， carried away from Dahomey， and enslaved in Alabama。 To conceal the crime the white Alabamans had committed， many of those aboard the Clotilda were enslaved within a small geographic area， and having formed strong bonds during their horrible voyage， they continued to encourage and support each other， preserving some of their community， culture and language。 After the Civil War， they wanted to return to Dahomey， and worked together to try to save the money to send back one person at a time， but it proved too difficult， so they shifted their vision to creating a community where they would own their land and make their own decisions。 The authors provide helpful back matter to provide short biographies， a timeline， a glossary， and a description of what is known from primary sources and where they used their informed discretion to create more rounded characters。 A really excellent title for grades 5-8。 EARC from Edelweiss。 。。。more
Larissa
，
Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book！I’d like to begin this by saying that I found out one of the authors is white after reading the book。 I can’t help but wonder if there are manuscripts out there by Black authors who can’t get published because of systemic racism in publishing about this same topic。 I can’t also help but wonder how having a white author’s perspective might have changed the narrative。 I think it’s important to bring these questions up Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book！I’d like to begin this by saying that I found out one of the authors is white after reading the book。 I can’t help but wonder if there are manuscripts out there by Black authors who can’t get published because of systemic racism in publishing about this same topic。 I can’t also help but wonder how having a white author’s perspective might have changed the narrative。 I think it’s important to bring these questions up because it’s not the first time it’s happened in publishing and I suspect it won’t be the last。 On Goodreads， Whitney left an amazing review analyzing how it is problematic having such an important piece of literature （one of the first stories of this kind） being written by a white author。 I highly suggest reading their review！Aside from that， I want to say that this book was important to read。 I can’t say it was enjoyable—how can reading about enslavement be enjoyable？ It was absolutely heartbreaking。 However， I can’t stress the importance of this book。 I had no idea Africans were still kidnapped and forced to America even after it had been outlawed （boo to my white-washed education）。 I also appreciate all of the resources and explanations left at the end of the book。 I will definitely be looking more into this， since I feel like it’s important to be aware of this if I plan to see the legacy of slavery in my world。 The storytelling is powerful—the imagery leaves little to imagination。 You feel the nervousness， fear， humiliation， frustration， and even hope。 I loved how it switched between so many voices， since each perspective helped to create a fuller picture of everything that happened。 I truly hope that more books will be written about Africatown （formerly known as Africa Town）。 Until then， I believe this would be such a powerful tool to use in classrooms。 I do recommend reading this book。 I think it provides a great learning experience that forces us to confront the horrors of slavery。 If you read it， please let me know what you think！ 。。。more
Bethany
，
An important piece of historical fiction in verse， African Town chronicles the last group of Africans brought illegally to America to be enslaved， and the heritage they left by building what is now Africatown， Alabama。 It takes some liberties， but overall seems to be very thoroughly researched。 Note that this book deals with a lot of very heavy topics such as enslavement， various kinds of assault， and death including that of children。 But it is also a story of hope and resilience。 I recommend yo An important piece of historical fiction in verse， African Town chronicles the last group of Africans brought illegally to America to be enslaved， and the heritage they left by building what is now Africatown， Alabama。 It takes some liberties， but overall seems to be very thoroughly researched。 Note that this book deals with a lot of very heavy topics such as enslavement， various kinds of assault， and death including that of children。 But it is also a story of hope and resilience。 I recommend you read from this reviewer who has some thoughts on the fact that one of the authors of this book is white: https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 It's worth considering the issues addressed。 That said， I do think this is an important story and one that should be told。 It's a fairly quick read and pretty accessible， so it might be a great tool for teachers who want to cover this material。 I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Shelby
，
*I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest reviewAFRICAN TOWN is one of those books that will stick with you for a very long time。 Following the last group of African people to be brought--illegally--to America， this novel-in-verse has a variety of perspectives， all real people from history。 I will mention， firstly， that the authors highlighted in the authors' note that neither have direct ties to the group of people within the story， so please be aware of that going in。 Ad *I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest reviewAFRICAN TOWN is one of those books that will stick with you for a very long time。 Following the last group of African people to be brought--illegally--to America， this novel-in-verse has a variety of perspectives， all real people from history。 I will mention， firstly， that the authors highlighted in the authors' note that neither have direct ties to the group of people within the story， so please be aware of that going in。 Additionally within the authors' note， there were many citations regarding information from the book， so it was as well-researched as it could have been， considering the time period and the fact that the individuals were brought over illegally and information wasn't as accurately reported because of that。 The book is told in verse and， while I couldn't truly appreciate the formatting because of the ebook， I think it will translate beautifully on the page。 There are many perspectives， including those who were brought from Africa and those participating in bringing them over illegally and those who owned them。 The white characters are reflective of their time and beliefs and use harsh， racist language and are generally cruel， so please note that before reading。 The book follows these characters over many years， from the 1830s through 1901， and you grow very attached to each one。 They each have their own distinct voices and even though it's a large cast， each is unique。 I appreciated that the authors had a section discussing what happened to the individuals after the book ended as well。This is an extremely important read and， like I said， while the authors aren't descended from those who built African Town， I believe they've created a powerful， relevant， important story that should be widely read。 。。。more
Kayla O
，
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an eARC of African Town。 First of all， this story is a historical fiction novel based on the last slave ship of the Middle Passage。 The story begins several years before the American Civil War。 It chronicles the events Africans from Benin and Nigeria went through before， during， and after slavery。 The story is told in 14 voices， presenting all sides of the story。 Although the personalities of the characters are fabricated， the story humanizes these Africa Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an eARC of African Town。 First of all， this story is a historical fiction novel based on the last slave ship of the Middle Passage。 The story begins several years before the American Civil War。 It chronicles the events Africans from Benin and Nigeria went through before， during， and after slavery。 The story is told in 14 voices， presenting all sides of the story。 Although the personalities of the characters are fabricated， the story humanizes these Africans that were thought to be non-human during the time。 I loved learning about the Middle Passage and the journeys several of the 110 Africans went through in their trip to America。 It was an eye-opening experience that widened my perspective of American history。 Kossola's story is heartbreaking， but his ability to smile through it all gives hope to the reader。 I recommend this book to anyone with a desire of preserving cultural history and seeking knowledge of the injustices from the Middle Passage。 。。。more
Alicia
，
This is a sweeping historical fiction that reminds me of A Sitting in St。 James and The Watch That Ends the Night because it's an intensive look at a dark period in history but spans many years while it's also verse and moves through multiple characters that are detailed in the story at the back including their order of appearance， short biographical note， and the historical context of what became of them。 The book is about about a hundred African folk who were rounded up and shipping to Mobile， This is a sweeping historical fiction that reminds me of A Sitting in St。 James and The Watch That Ends the Night because it's an intensive look at a dark period in history but spans many years while it's also verse and moves through multiple characters that are detailed in the story at the back including their order of appearance， short biographical note， and the historical context of what became of them。 The book is about about a hundred African folk who were rounded up and shipping to Mobile， Alabama on a schooner named Coltilda。 They survived horrific slavery， degradation， and war only to come out on the other side by settling their own town， African Town which is now called Africatown and thriving for future generations， not to forget the stories of their friendships， relationships， and survival as well as the conniving white men who worked against the actual illegal trade by that point in time。 It's verse is short and long in parts and includes a handful of acrostic poems but stays as true to the stories as it could to bring the story to light。 It's epic and necessary， thoughtful and intense。 。。。more
Whitney
，
**Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers in connection with the New England Library Collaborative Teen Summit for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review。 This in no way changed my thoughts and ratings**First things first， to be VERY upfront， this book is written by two authors， one of whom is Black， one of whom is white， and neither of whom are descended from the survivors of the Clotilda。 So if you're looking for something of that nature， there are some resources list **Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers in connection with the New England Library Collaborative Teen Summit for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review。 This in no way changed my thoughts and ratings**First things first， to be VERY upfront， this book is written by two authors， one of whom is Black， one of whom is white， and neither of whom are descended from the survivors of the Clotilda。 So if you're looking for something of that nature， there are some resources listed in the back of the book to peruse。 I did not know Ms。 Latham was not BIPOC when I downloaded this title and the way that part of this was addressed did cause me to rethink how I felt about the book a little bit。 In their author's note， It is addressed that some readers may "question whether this was our story to tell。" While I agree with them that it should not be left solely to the victims and descendants to tell this story， I do question the authors saying that we "need to work together and include multiple perspectives to 'get it right'。" What perspectives specifically did they think needed to be added to "get it right"？ I'm unsure if I believe that it was specifically the place of Ms。 Latham to insert herself into this narrative since it is a topic and story that is newly being told and has only recently been brought to light。 I understand the authors worked together on other projects， but in this case， I just wonder if that was the right decision。 I'm wondering if it will perhaps take away from this story which is INCREDIBLY important。 This is not to say that authors who aren't of color cannot tell stories about BIPOC people， but because there are so few titles about this particular story， I wonder if it's the best choice for the first time this topic is being brought to light for many， including many teens， for it to be presented by this specific author who has no ties to the community。 That aside， I think this book presents a topic that is incredibly important and that it will immediately be targeted to be banned because of that fact， along with the fact that it unapologetically portrays almost all white characters （more on that later） as being racist and as having feelings of white supremacy， as would have been the case for that time period。 Timothy Meaher and William Foster， particularly， use multiple slurs， engage in shady tricks after the end of the Civil War to keep the Africans characters indebted to them， engage in rewriting of history later in life， and in voter intimidation， as well as many other realistic but uncomfortable situations of the time。 I can easily see the Texas Board of Education having an issue upon this being released in January。 I'm calling it now that this will be challenged within an inch of it's binding。 The book discusses the circumstances of the last victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade。 They were sold into slavery by their countrymen from Benin and Nigeria to Meaher， who made a bet back in America that he could smuggle in African people without being punished for it by US law， as it was illegal by this point to bring in new enslaved people。 The book is a novel in verse， with each character having their own specific form of poetry （as is explained at the end of the book）。 You can tell a lot of thought went into the writing style。 The book has many POV characters， including Kossola， Abile， Kêhounco， and Kupollee， all of whom were captured under different circumstances and sold to work as enslaved people in Alabama， Meaher and Foster， the two who organized this smuggling and own plantations or businesses， Augustine， Meaher's son who is portrayed as being "sympathetic" to the plight of the Africans， J。B。， a sailor who sells out his morals for money， and even the ship herself， the Clotilda。 I thought especially personifying the ship gives an added layer as it enables a deeper understanding of the quarters and conditions of the multi-month trip。 There are 14 unique voices and they almost all add to the story。 Personally， I don't think Augustine's needed to be there and I think it was included to make certain readers feel better about "not all people sharing their parent's beliefs。" The authors claim they were encouraged by the work of Dr。 Sylvaine Diouf， a historian who specializes in the African Diaspora， but I would've liked a specific citation for this particular characterization as she has written many works。 While yes， ideas and thoughts change over generations， this child was growing up in the Deep South， right after the Civil War， and is "sympathetic" from an INCREDIBLY young age and through his adulthood， which feels historically inaccurate to me。 The book starts with Kossola's life back in Bantè （now known as Benin） in 1860 and goes through his capture， enslavement， through the Civil War， the creation of African Town （now known as Africatown and still standing today in Alabama）， up through the deaths of Foster and Meaher in the early 1900s。 This also includes marriages， the birth of children， the heartbreaking notion that returning to Africa is a pipe dream， and the creation of a new community in Alabama。 There is hope and joy along with the heartache and pain。 It is a stark portrayal of this time period and a book I hope many people pick up， despite my hesitation about whether this was the right author to tell this story。 While I felt respect was shown and it was obviously well researched， I stand by my claim that it might have been better to go with someone who had more connections to the community since this is the first time many of us are hearing this story。 I think it's a book that will be talked about for a long time to come and should be read and taught。 。。。more
Sara Hill
，
African Town by Charles Waters and Irene Latham was both a fascinating and quick read。 I really loved that this book was written in verse。 I always find that to be such a beautiful way of writing。 I really appreciated the way in which the story was written。 There were a ton of different perspectives。 At times I got a little overwhelmed with how many people there were。 However， each of the characters had such a clear and definitive story that it was easy to follow each of the stories。 Some charac African Town by Charles Waters and Irene Latham was both a fascinating and quick read。 I really loved that this book was written in verse。 I always find that to be such a beautiful way of writing。 I really appreciated the way in which the story was written。 There were a ton of different perspectives。 At times I got a little overwhelmed with how many people there were。 However， each of the characters had such a clear and definitive story that it was easy to follow each of the stories。 Some characters were consistent throughout the entire book and others were just mentioned in certain time periods。 That helped too。 I did not expect the book to cover as long of a period of time as it did。 I am really glad it did。 The story just felt more complete。 I felt the book was broken up in very nice sections。I did find the end a little abrupt， but I think this is because I just wanted to keep reading and connecting more with the characters and their stories。I was super curious and very excited about all the notes， documents， resources， videos， additional reading material and so much more included in the back of the book。 As with any historical fiction sometimes items， people， or events need to be left out due to the flow of the book or missing information among a bunch of other reasons。 The authour’s included some of the changes they made and the people they left out， which I thought was cool。 I appreciated that for those they had more information on that they leaned into that。 I was glad to hear they used different sources to try and get a more whole understanding of who the people were and the events that took place。 Overall， African Town was a heart breaking yet inspirational story written in beautiful verse。 I felt the different points of view， stories， and characters were well researched and executed。 I have already checked out some of the sources included in the back of the book， and I am eager to do more research and read more about this event and these people。 I received an eARC from Penguin Teen through NetGalley。 All opinions are 100% my own。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=African Town
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=African Town&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,African Town&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0