Ayesha Harruna Attah

A unique perspective on slavery - from its source in Ghana and the presence of British & German imperialists who support it economically, but also from the local tribes who form alliances and sell out their rivals and enemies. This is all conveyed through the lives of 2 young women: Aminah whose village is raided - she loses her family and becomes a slave - though not sent overseas. Instead she serves a local tribe which features Wurche another young woman, who is the daughter of the tribal show more king. She longs for power and action in her role, rather than the path of wife that is ordained for her. When she and Aminah meet each has something to learn and gain from the other. Wurche felt a little contrived in her role, but the book broadens history so well, it was worth the read. show less

Set in late nineteenth century Gold Coast, two women are at the heart of this novel – Aminah and Wurche. As the story opens, Aminah is living in a small village on a trading route. Her life is shattered when she and her siblings are captured by slave traders. They destroy her village and transport her to the south. In Salaga, Wurche is a princess of the Gonja people. She is disappointed that she is expected to enter an arranged marriage rather than play a role in tribal politics like her show more father and brothers. These two storylines eventually converge. Key elements include the slave trade, rival factions seeking the throne of Salaga, and colonial rule being contended among France, Germany, and Great Britain.

This is historical fiction based real events that occurred in what is now Ghana just prior to becoming a British colony. The author is Ghanaian. Even though slave trading had been outlawed, Salaga's slave market was still operational. The hundred wells of the title pertain to the places where washing of slaves took place before being sold. Unlike many older novels, the story is told from the African perspective. For me, this historical viewpoint is the main attraction, and the two storylines illustrate the slaving practiced in the region at the time. The stories of the two strong female protagonists are interesting, especially once they start interacting. It spurred me to look up more about the history of Ghana, which is always a good sign. show less

Aminah lives in a small village on the trade route of the caravans from Timbuktu: her life is torn apart when she and her three siblings are captured by slave traders who destroy her village and take her far to the south. Wurche is a princess of the Gonja people, frustrated that as a daughter she is not allowed to play the part in politics that her brothers are encouraged to do. Both come together in this tale of late nineteenth century Ghana where rival factions struggle for the throne of show more Salaga, against the backdrop of encroachment by the European powers of Britain, France and Germany.

I found the background to this story very interesting indeed, based as it is on a real historical period between 1892 and 1897, and focusing on the African perspective rather than that of the European colonisers. Despite the events of the book being very many years after the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, Salaga's slave market is still active, the hundred wells referred to in the title being where the slaves are washed before sale. And the author doesn't shy away from making her characters suitably complicit in its continued operation. Where this novel does fall down however, is in the characterisation, and its ability to generate emotional impact. The different characters come over as oddly flat and too similar, and despite what should be the horror of some of the events depicted, the author doesn't seem to be able to recreate that horror or the emotional response of her characters in her writing.

So while I'm glad I read the book, I'm not sure that I'll be searching out anything else by the same author. show less

This book took me from the Gold Coast to Brazil and back. I loved learning the culture and history of the late 18th century. Although slavery was not the main focus, the book showed how slavery impacted their lives and was the turning point to it. The chapters alternating between the two sisters really allowed the reader to feel for both sisters and allowed us to see them grow into women. I loved how the author showed us how different of lives both sisters lived and how that impacted how show more they saw life as a whole. show less