As a young girl, Magulu (later known as Sarah Margru Kinson) is sold
into slavery and sent from her home in West Africa (the area that is now
the country of Sierra Leone) to Cuba, and from there to America on
board the
Amistad with about 50 others, including three other
children. When the enslaved men revolt and take over the ship, they hope
to return to Africa, but the surviving sailors secretly sail back
towards the American coast at night, resulting in a zigzagging journey
up the east coast, until the ship is captured by the U.S. Navy just off
of Long Island. Because the U.S. had by then outlawed the international
slave trade, and because the mutiny occurred outside of American waters,
the Africans from the
Amistad find themselves caught up in a complicated legal battle. Will Magulu ever be able to return to her homeland?
This was a short but very interesting book. I knew little about the
Amistad
before reading it, and it’s inspired me to do a little additional
reading about the events described in the book. Edinger stays close to
the facts, which I appreciate, while still producing a satisfying read.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
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