Letter to Lawrence Hill

A letter to Lawrence Hill.

Dear Hill

I am a grade 12 student who has studied your novel “book of negroes” for his English 12 class. The novel fascinated me. I personally believe you did a wondrous job of shifting the idea of Africa from tribal beast to humans. This book is very interesting yet there are question that arise after reading the book.

            How did you feel about writing in the eyes of a female and did you think you accurately. The journey throughout the novel has Aminata journey through puberty alone and experience pregnancy do you think that you accurately dealt with the topic of a woman coming of age. Her first period was while on the journey to after being captured was a striking moment for the book how did you put your mind into the mind of a 12-year-old girl, also Amanata’s pregnancy I feel like this area was skimmed over in my opinion. Aminata catches many babies and the book takes us through the process but the experience of slave pregnancy was disappointedly skimmed over, as there was a baby in my belly. Your insight of a female was interesting and was wondering how did you prepare yourself for writing as one.

            The horrors of slavery were shown through out the novel but I personally felt that you left out the number of slaves in America. Millions of slaves were taken to America and I was wondering why you did that and is there any reason for it. This novel was very focused on isolated scenes on situations did you find that this made for better insight on the single slave life or just overall made a for a better story.

            Aminata is an above life character without question. Why did you make her exempt in many cases, instead of showing more horror and opening every door? Personally I see this as making the novel more of a legends tale instead of a representation and find that it focuses the story more on Aminata and her conquests and less on slavery. The rice field plantations are noted and threatened throughout book 2 as being a truly terrorizing experience why did you not venture there but only left echoes of pain?

            I must overall commend you on your humanization of Africa. Even to date people see these people as indocile apes. I feel like starting her story from Africa gave a truly in sighted feel to the whole novel. This also shines light on the Muslim religion and how a lot of African tribes were organized and peaceful and I thank you for giving me this view.

            This novel had me turning pages and gave me a resonance that lasted a week and hit me at the very core. As a Negro I thank you and as a human being I thank you.

This is not a criticism, I am just questioning your chooses and want your insight of the novel.