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Help me find a book... Excerpts of first hand accounts of former slaves edited for MS


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I'm pretty sure I saw it recommended on WTM forums somewhere and that's why I took it out of the library 2-3 years ago. I want to say the title had "Voices" in it... It was fascinating, but I decided at the time that it was just too brutal to use with my kids' ages at the time.

 

I'm sure I'd know it if I saw it, but apparently I don't remember enough to pull it up effectively on Amazon.

 

Does this strike a bell with anyone? I believe the accounts ranged from 1-3 pages, most quite short. And it was clearly intended for YA readers...

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I'm pretty sure I saw it recommended on WTM forums somewhere and that's why I took it out of the library 2-3 years ago. I want to say the title had "Voices" in it... It was fascinating, but I decided at the time that it was just too brutal to use with my kids' ages at the time.

 

I'm sure I'd know it if I saw it, but apparently I don't remember enough to pull it up effectively on Amazon.

 

Does this strike a bell with anyone? I believe the accounts ranged from 1-3 pages, most quite short. And it was clearly intended for YA readers...

 

Honestly, instead of a collection of excerpts from various authors I'd recommend Frederick Douglas's autobiography. I'm not a fan of heavily edited anthologies as it seems you are only getting those passages that fit the editor's ideas of what slave accounts should say. I personally like the idea of reading one man's *complete* account in which he shows the good, the bad, and the ugly. You realize he is *owned* by others, and yet he has the *grace* to admit when one of them is less cruel--and in doing so he reveals even more starkly how horrific chattel slavery in the US really was. This book is also brief and easy to read, and very well-written and engaging.

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Honestly, instead of a collection of excerpts from various authors I'd recommend Frederick Douglas's autobiography. I'm not a fan of heavily edited anthologies as it seems you are only getting those passages that fit the editor's ideas of what slave accounts should say. I personally like the idea of reading one man's *complete* account in which he shows the good, the bad, and the ugly. You realize he is *owned* by others, and yet he has the *grace* to admit when one of them is less cruel--and in doing so he reveals even more starkly how horrific chattel slavery in the US really was. This book is also brief and easy to read, and very well-written and engaging.

 

Yes, ds is reading that now. And I certainly understand your arguments for it too. :) But it's also interesting to see that compared to at least a few examples of different types of experiences.

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I found these on an amazon search

Testaments of Courage: Selections from Men's Slave Narratives, by Gerald Horne and Mary Young

All My Trials, Lord: Selections from Women's Slave Narratives, by Mary Young

 

They appear to be for young adults. Sorry I don't know how to link. Hope these help.

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