NEARER MY FREEDOM

An important narrative presented with clarity.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789) remains one of the best-known stories about the life of an enslaved African man in the 18th century. Equiano was born in the kingdom of Benin and kidnapped and sold into slavery as a young person. His experiences of the Middle Passage, described in detail, were brutal. After working in the Caribbean, he was shipped to a plantation in Virginia and a life of bondage. When he was sold to a British naval officer, Equiano was given a new name against his will, but he formed relationships that allowed him to learn to read and write. Through it all, he never lost his dream of liberty and the resolve to purchase his freedom. Once he was successful, he took on an apprenticeship as a hairdresser and eventually had more adventures, traveling to Turkey, among other places. His autobiography formed part of his abolitionist efforts and was important to the movement that eventually ended the institution of slavery in Britain. This highly successful adaptation of his original work uses Equiano’s own words, turned into found verse and supplemented with important historical context that makes this primary source accessible. The overall result is exceptionally readable as well as informative.

An excellent way to understand a remarkable individual and his times.