Alex Haley
[ Fiction/ Literary ]

Roots by Alex Haley

Book Review by Suchitra Sarede

When my friend gave me a copy of Roots, I wondered if I would have the patience to read it because it was 600+ pages long. But within the first fifty pages I realised the book was already striking several chords in me. No light reading this is & the outcome of this great Classic can be attributed, wholesome,to this one Man's undying Love for his African Homeland, People & Perpetuation of the same!

The story starts in 1750 with Kunta Kinte, born to Omoro and Binta of the Mandinka clan, in little Juffure, Gambia. Born free, Kunta is a proud African moslem, bound by tradition, brimming with ancestral pride. He is kidnapped at the tender age of 17. Caught by 'Toubob' (white man) he endures extreme hardship and is sold as a slave. He is passed on from one plantation to another over the years, and each time he tries to run away.

This true story by the author, Alex Haley, is all about tracing his own roots. The narration is so smooth that, even though there's no attempt to sugarcoat gory facts, it doesn't depress; there's always a hint of hope that sticks with you throughout. Before you know it, you're in the seventh generation of this family--you've gone from slave to free man. You see Kunta's lineage occupying every dignified post in town, well-deservedly so.

This book can change the way you think. It makes you realise and appreciate what freedom is and what we can do with it.

There's an unforgettable scene from this book that moves me no end: Omoro lifts his newborn, Kunta, 8 days old, and following their tradition, says softly, with Kunta's face to the heavens, "Behold! The only thing greater than yourself!" 

Such a proud clan!