Nobody’s Slave is a book about slavery and the consequences of it on everyone concerned. It is a story about Africans, Europeans, human suffering and cruelty, but also of hope and judgement. When I first started reading it, it had the ring of Roots, but very soon it diverged. The message of this author was different.
The story was well told, and both the protagonists, Tom and Madu are both well-etched characters and their stories run parallel to each other, till the very end. The other characters are also very balanced and fit well into the story. The story winds right through Africa, Spain, and England, not to mention the time at sea, and provides a delightful contrast to each other. The book itself winds to a close with a note of hope and understanding which is very heartening, though nowhere close to historical.
I honestly cannot see any flaws with the book, which takes us on a roller coaster of emotions, from the depth of despair to the heights of hope. I would recommend this to anyone interested in this genre or history or just to everybody at all. The focal point of the book is that slavery was practiced by all societies and it was equally bad no matter who practiced it.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by the author. I give this book 4 / 5 stars.
Kavitha
Review Team Member
I'll want to read this! I've written historical novels about slavery myself, and am engaged in writing another, so I'm particularly interested in how other writers approach the topic.
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