This book begins at Cape Coast slave castle/dungeon in Ghana - one of the many places where the treacherous Middle Passage began for millions of Africans. More than forty of these fortresses were erected by Europeans on the West coast of Africa, formerly referred to as the Gold Coast. Homegoing follows two half sisters Effia & Esi who are from the Fante and Asante tribes, born in 18th Century Ghana, into different villages, without knowledge of one other. One sister is married off to an Englishman and leads a life of luxury and comfort on the upper level of Cape Coast Castle/Dungeon. The other sister is captured when her village is raided, enslaved in the very same castle/dungeon, and sold into slavery in the US. The book follows the lives of these sisters and their descendants over a 300 year span and through eight generations, from the west coast of Africa to the southern plantations in Mississippi and the city life in Harlem. This book delves into many of the untold aspects, stories and ramifications of slavery. It reveals the generational impact and scars that this strange institution had on both the captives and captors and their families and the life altering changes that forever altered the countries & the mentality of people impacted by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
I read this book in preparation for my trip to Ghana in 2018 and it gave me insight about the history & background. Although the book is a novel, it is steeped in historical facts & generational references. When we actually arrived and toured Cape Coast & Elmina castle dungeons it was a tremendously painful and heart-wrenching experience for me. I had a profound life-altering moment in the female slave dungeon as the spiritual energy of my ancestors was very present, strong & powerful! I immediately began a travel blog when I returned home to share my journey.
https://drhelensculturaljourneys.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/spiritual-connections-elmina-slave-castle-dungeon/
No comments:
Post a Comment