Avast for two gripping historical slave accounts
Caribbean Life, JAN. 28-FEB. 3, 2022 31
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
You can only imagine.
There was fear, of course, but
also pain and a feeling of suffocation.
Surely, there was a sense
of embarrassment when clothes
were lost and bodily smells were
unavoidable. Outrage, too, that
was surely present, but you can
only imagine. If you’re compelled
to know, read these two
great new books about the ships
of the Middle Passage.
Not long ago, the news was
buzzing with a very unexpected
discovery: the remains of the
Clotilda, an 160-year-old ship,
were discovered in Alabama
waters, half-burned but in good
enough shape for its discoverers
to know what it was and the
importance it held…
“The Last Slave Ship” by
Ben Raines (Simon & Schuster,
$26.00) begins the tale of those
ruins in 1860, when more than
five decades had passed since
the importation of slaves from
Africa had become law. Still,
Timothy Meaher was a betting
man. Meaher wagered that he
could somehow send the Clotilda
across the ocean, and back
with human cargo, without getting
caught. History, of course,
didn’t allow that.
But this isn’t just a tale of a
white man and a ship. It’s also
a story of warfare, the capture
of 110 people, and their sale in
Africa by a king who showed no
mercy and who almost re-captured
the slaves-to-be to resell
them. It’s a story of peril and
politics, and it extends to the
descendants of the captain and
his cargo today.
“The Last Slave Ship” is an
action-packed, whip-smart true
account that’s filled with science,
history, and compassion.
Readers will devour it.
A nice companion to the
Raines book is “The Black Joke”
by A.E. Rooks.
In the time between Napoleon’s
fall in France and the very
height of Queen Victoria’s reign
in England, the Black Joke
sailed the Atlantic on behalf of
England to end the slave trade –
not just in Great Britain, but on
both sides of the ocean.
Until its capture by the Royal
Navy in 1827, the Black Joke
was a notoriously fast slave ship
that shuttled humans from
Africa to parts elsewhere. The
Brits knew exactly what to do
with it, once they had possession
of the ship: they recycled
it, making the Black Joke into
an important part of their antislavery
fleet and a speedy way to
capture slaving vessels and free
the people aboard them.
Like “The Last Slave Ship,”
“The Black Joke” is full of action
and heroism, but in a different
way: the former includes the
recovery of an important bit
of U.S. history, while the latter
is a wider story, both in scope
and geography. Readers will be
happy (and very well-informed)
to read one, then the other, in
quick succession.
Once you’ve done that, you
may want more information so
check with your favorite bookseller
or librarian. They have
many more stories of slave
ships at their fingertips, including
first-hand accounts from
many points of view. All you
have to do is ask and you’ll find
more similar books than you
can imagine.
“The Last Slave Ship”
by Ben Raines
c.2022, Simon & Schuster
307 pages
$27.99
“The Black Joke” by
A.E. Rooks
c.2022, Scribner
400 pages
$29.00
Books about slave ships. Photo by Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Best Winter Reading Books for Kids
By Kilani Sierra
The Best Winter Reading
Books for Kids!
Winter can be such a magical
season filled with outside
fun in the snow. For days when
it gets too chilly, and staying
indoors is a must, kids
should still have an enjoyable
time. Reading can be a fantastic
stimulating activity for
kids of all ages, during those
blizzard days. There’s nothing
better than challenging the
mind and filling your child’s
imaginations with the wonder
of stories. Here is a list of some
great reads for those indoor
winter days.
Looking for more activities
to do at home with your kids
this Valentine’s Day? Check
out Easy Valentine’s Day Treats
via Catherine McCord of Weelicious
and One Potato!
Early Readers
The Missing Mitten Mystery
by Steven Kellogg
Ages: 4-8 Years
The Missing Mitten Mystery
follows Annie and her
dog, Oscar, as they search for
Annie’s red mitten after a long
day of playing in the snow.
They look high and low at
every spot they played in, who
knows if it’s truly lost, or hidden
in plain sight. This book is
perfect for showing kids how
fun playing in the snow can be,
but also to be mindful of what
they may leave behind during
all that fun.
The Monster at the End of
the Book by Jon Stone
Ages: 0-6 Years
A classic book for young
readers, The Monster at the
End of the Book follows our
familiar friend Grover as he
warns us nonstop about the
monster at the end of the book.
This book is a fun read with
your little one that’ll keep
them smiling to the end.
I am the Storm by Jane
Yolen
Ages: 4-9 Years
Young children are unfamiliar
and also frightened by
extreme weather. I am the
Storm takes a peek at a tornado,
a blizzard, a forest fire, and
a hurricane along with warm
family stories that portray preparedness
and trust. This book
teaches kids about the complexity
of nature, and how it
has much more power than we
initially realize, but with the
right preparation, they can get
through anything that comes
their way.
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by
Andrea Beaty
Ages: 4-9 Years
Aaron Slater loves hearing
and creating stories. One day
he is assigned to write a story
of his own, but he can’t seem
to decipher the squiggles on
the page. He now has to find
his own way of telling stories
that are unique to who he is.
This book helps kids explore
their imaginative selves and
allows them see that they too
can create things that come
to their mind, no matter the
setback.