Ajeemah and his son

Just a reminder - February is Black History Month.


Ajeemah and his Son is written by James Berry, a Jamaican author. Ajeemah and his son Atu are from Ghana. As they were traveling to visit Atu's future in-laws, they were kidnapped and sold as slaves. From there we read of what happens to Ajeemah and Atu in Jamaica, forced to work on sugar plantations. Separated, they each try to find a way toward freedom. The British banned slavery and freedom does eventually come to the slaves in Jamaica.

This is a short story, but well worth reading. James Berry writes in a beautiful, poetical style that makes you feel what the characters are feeling. The story doesn't have a lot of detail and doesn't focus solely on the atrocities of slavery. Instead, the author focuses on freedom. The desire for freedom, the attempts at freedom and the joy that comes when it is attained. The story is written for teens.

Book Rating: 4 stars