An very interesting and compelling historical document, written 150 years ago (1859). It's the story told by a slave girl fighting her whole life for freedom... Slavery as told in this book is far away - in our western world. In our western world, slavery is still existing, no doubt, but it is hidden. In many parts of our world, slavery is to this day still a thrieving business, human people beeing held, used and sold like cattle.

Who wants to read along?

The follong bookcrossers are in this ray:

"spaceystacey" from bridgeton, New Jersey, USA (US only)
"Supertalya" from Seoul, South Korea (Asia / USA)
"penelopewanders" from Hasliberg, Bern / Berne, Switzerland (Europe only)
"ETMadrid"from London, Greater London, United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is off to "Spaceystaces".

Received in the post yesterday and started to read last evening.


What a great read dealing with person value, and stuggles to understand the limited value society put on some of its members in the past. Parts of this are very moving and the reader should have some tissues available in case needed.

11/04/2008 Posted out to the next reader on the list along with 2 other books, given to say "thank you" for your patience while this book rested at my home a couple of weeks longer than intended.

I have one ring ahead of it, but being that there are only 9 more school days before vacation I know I will read it quickly.

What a great read. I just recently read Beloved, a fictional tale about slavery but can see many similiaries in the women. It is so sad that people were treated like this in "the land of the free." I had never heard of this book before, but plan on getting a copy and passing it along to some teachers here. I know they would be interested. I amazed by the author's writing as a women with no formal education.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I forgot to mention, I sent this off last week! :-) Happy Holidays everyone!!!

This has arrived safely in the Alps, thanks so much. I'm just rereading Kindred by Octavia Butler, which I will use with an advanced EFL class this coming term, and this might be a nice complement to that book, but I'll know better once I've read it. I highly recommend that, by the way. Try to get to this soon, and send it on soon as well.
Happy new year everyone!

Hard to rate a book like this, which is a true story...I don't think I can use it for my class, but am very happy for the background information. Astonishing to think all of this happened not so very long ago at all... Have PMed for next address so should be able to send it on as soon as I get it. (For some reason I thought the next in line was someone whose address I already have). Happy 2009!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This is now on its way to London. Thanks so much for making it available.

This was in my letterbox when I came back from a few days away. Thank you for sending it. I will get to it soon and will let you know what I make of it.

I really found this highly educational and very well-written. I'm glad that both Harriet Jacobs and those who knew her well and encouraged her to write had such foresight as to realise that what she had lived through and was able ro recount would indeed be an invaluable testament. I feel much more in tune with what happened, plan to read more, and can understand better the feelings of those black people who had clearly travelled from far and wide to witness history in the making on the day of Obama's inauguration.

Thanks to canongatebooks who'd sent me their new publication of Robert Burns, there was a phrase in the book "I trow not" that I'd not have otherwise understood. Funny how one seemingly unrelated book can relate to another, in this case, through its language.

I looked up a little about the abolitionist movement in the UK, and discovered that Darwin was related to Wedgewood, who designed a logo for the movement. And I'm about to start reading a biography of Darwin, so there's another link!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I've just given this to my sister. She's not a great reader, never has been... but she has begun to read a bit (and the chapters in this are short!), and as she has recently become a fully fledged primary school teacher, she might find this a valuable insight into some of the topics she'll be covering.

08/02 Turned out completely by chance that this book was very relevant to a play that I went to on Friday, "Fair Trade" at the Pleasance in London. Saturday was it's last night, so it's not something one can go to until it is reprogrammed. It was about the sex trade. One (modern day) scene showed women being auctioned, highly reminiscent of the way in which slaves were bought and sold in the Americas.

This has come back to me unread. I'll find it a new direction.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this inside the church. It has a beautiful graveyard and a lovely view over the bay.

I found this book in a beautiful old church in old town, St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly - I have just started reading it.

Just started reading, friend picked up book on Isles of Scilly.

Returned to me by smg123 because another friend wanted to read the book - will release it once returned to me.

14 July 2010 - my friend has just returned it to me. She really enjoyed the book and read it in about two days because she just couldn't put it down.

left in a church in the centre of plymouth