Hugo Martinez

This is a graphic novel and a story brilliantly told and imagined by a scholar who researches women's roles in slave rebellions, a field she seemingly has all to herself. Hall travels to New York and London (where she is refused admission to the archives of Lloyds of London, which insured much of the trade) to search maritime and historical archives from the 1700s. With very little that could be verified by written records (she basically finds only the first names of only four women), Hall show more creates her own narration and imagines how the brave leaders, in desperation and knowing the outcome is certain death, form their plans on land and sea. The most remarkable part of the book portrays the circumstances on the ships themselves: the diagrams she found which specified various configurations to pack the most humanity into the tiniest spaces, and the way women were allowed to be unchained on the decks, because the captains did not believe them capable of carrying out insurrection, and also to provide “benefit to the crew”. She also disputes the false claims that Africans were primarily responsible for enslavement of their fellow citizens and illuminates the difference between chattel (for profit) slavery and the sale of captives captured in wars, which happened in every country on earth. The illustrations are drawn in B&W comic book style, which I don't particularly like, with font size way too small, but the important story shines through.

Quotes: “The British would like us to think that their only role in the trade was its abolition, but it was central to England’s economy, and regulated and managed at every level.”

“History, by definition, is the study of change over time.” show less

Disclosure: I read this as a free ARC via NetGalley, and received no compensation other than the chance to read this title.

Potential triggers: rape; violence; racism.

Having read Wake, I found this title to be reminiscent of the feel of Maus, or George Takei's They Called Us Enemy.

A well-written balance of emotion and scholarly depth, this work shows both why the pursuit of 'hidden history' is needed and why it can be so painful, especially in today's polarizing, willfully ignorant show more world.

Informative and thought-provoking, Wake leads the reader down a journey of how slaves were viewed in the legal system and how the slave trade was run. Wake shows how those running and bankrolling the slave trade refuse to acknowledge their roles while the descendants of slaves have to grapple with this soul-crushing legacy.

Absolutely recommended for those who are willing to chase uncomfortable history, or gain a new perspective on the history they thought they knew. show less

Rebecca Hall creates a vibrant and fascinating mix of memoir, history, historiography, and historical fiction as she explores the present day for clues to women-led slave revolts in the 18th century, worrying tidbits out of dusty archives protected by uncooperative white men, and -- like a paleontologist imagining an entire dinosaur from a few small bones -- conjecturing why and how the revolts might have actually happened, bringing to life women whose very names have been lost to show more history.

The art is a little rougher than I prefer, but the story is masterfully polished and I could not bring myself to stop reading until I had finished. show less

A vividly illustrated account of Black women rebels that combines elements of memoir, archival research, and informed imaginings of its subjects' lives.

A former tenants rights lawyer, Hall pursued a doctorate in history to uncover America's warped justice system. "In order to understand our experiences as Black women today,” she writes, “I had to study slavery.” This collaboration with illustrator Martínez focuses on two women-led revolts in New York City and uprisings during the show more trans-Atlantic slave trade. Of a 1712 revolt, Hall finds in court records the first names of four women involved and sentenced to execution; none are quoted in transcripts. "This is one way history erases us….You think you are reading an accurate chronicle written at the time, but if who we are and what we care about are deemed irrelevant, it won't be in there,” writes Hall. The author also examines a 1708 revolt led by a woman referred to in documents as the “Negro Fiend”; she was burned at the stake. The granddaughter of slaves, the author seeks to honor her ancestors by filling in the silent record. Facing difficulty accessing records and digesting their information, Hall called upon her deceased grandmother for strength. In London, Hall delved into archives of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, reading hundreds of slave-ship logs. Revolts at sea were largely a suicide mission fueled by slaves' desire to "take their captors with them to the bottom of the ocean." Research shows that the more women onboard a slave ship, the more likely a revolt. Hall believes that this was because women were mostly kept unchained and on deck, where it was easier for crew members to rape them; this also gave them access to weapons. The black-and-white illustrations nicely complement the text and elevate the artfulness and the power of the book, which begins and ends with scenes depicting women-led revolts aboard a ship Hall calls the Unity.

An urgent, brilliant work of historical excavation. show less