'Barracoon' by Zora Neale Hurston #AmericanHistory

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this short audiobook; it's about a 4-hour listen. This is nonfiction, so be prepared for the very tragic details of the life of Cudjo Lewis. His village was raided by the Dahomey people, his parents were killed, and he was captured to be sold by the Portuguese into slavery. All of those things would be terrible enough for one lifetime, but Cudjo continued to encounter myriad tragedies after the Union soldiers came and told him he wasn't a slave anymore. Very sad.

Cudjo Lewis was a real survivor, though. He hung in there long enough to tell his tale to the brilliant Zora Neale Hurston, a pioneer of recording authentic African-American folklore. Her recording of Lewis's tale is believed to be historically accurate to a high degree, and she also relates it in a literary style that makes it incredibly compelling. But - still very tragic.

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If you are an African-American who's descended from enslaved Africans, you may have to consider whether you really want to hear the gruesome details. This is not a lighthearted or easy read. Definitely all white Americans should read or listen to this book, because we should have our eyes fulled opened about what our ancestors caused.

An appendix to this book is a collection of Cudjo's fictional folk tales, which I highly recommend for anyone who's interested in folklore.

I checked this book out from my local library using the Libby app and I was not obligated in any way to review it.