by Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge
5 stars
A biography in verse using found poetry from Olaudah Equiano’s own autobiography. I absolutely adored this format.
Fantastically constructed. The found verse format was done in a way that made the text and narrative more accessible to a modern reader without losing the original intent.
Throughout the book, there are breakout sections that give more information on the context and history of the events in the narrative. These sections do not shy away from Equiano’s complicated situation in terms of his views of “kind” enslavers and his own part in overseeing enslaved people.
A fascinating book in terms of its content and format. Great starting place for those interested in Equiano’s life and impact who aren’t up for reading his full autobiography.
Highly recommend this one, especially for fans of biographies in verse such as Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler.