First published 2004
Zora Neale Hurston travels to 1920s Alabama to record the firsthand account of Cudjo Lewis, the last known survivor of the transatlantic slave trade. As Cudjo recounts his harrowing capture in Africa, the horrors of the Middle Passage, and decades of enslavement, Hurston bears witness to an integral, but long-silenced, part of American history. Through Cudjo's powerful words, Barracoon offers a poignant testament to the pernicious legacy of slavery.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-american, african-literature, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: firsthand-account, historical-fiction
171 pages · Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Content warnings: slavery, violence