The Book of Negroes

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2007

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Before You Read

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

How is water used in this novel to evoke emotion, delineate certain themes, and symbolize certain dangers and triumphs?

What is the significance of the title, Someone Knows My Name? In your opinion, which title is more suitable, the American title, or the Canadian one, The Book of Negroes, and why?

What do the terms “Africa” and “African” mean in this text, both to Aminata and to others? How does this issue relate to the themes of migration and homecoming? How does the motif of maps and map-making give meaning to the word “Africa” as an actual and psychic space?