Roots

Just finished reading the second book which I have read in tandem with Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Roots by Alex Haley.  What a great companion book to UTC.  The story was the biography following the life of Kunta Kinte and the generations that followed;  the struggle to survive a horrific time in US history, the era of slavery.  The story came from the oral history of seven generations of Haleys. It was one man’s desire to find his family heritage following the stories told by aunts, grandparents, and parents.  It took Haley 12 years to finish his research going through archives, interviews, and reliving stories he had been told.  What a wonderful thing for parents to share their heritage with their children.  It reminds me of the stories my mom shares with me and her grandchildren about her upbringing.  Haley’s style of storytelling reminds me much of the approach and level of detail of my own mother.  I guess when you love the heritage it shows in the feelings that are conveyed in each of the characters.  From Chicken George (my favorite) to Kizzy Reynolds, and Tom Murray each one is vividly described as is their own challenges.  Haley’s family is fortunate that Alex was able to tell this story, and so will you be.  This is a must read, completely riveting and will keep you interested and wanting to know what happens to each character. No wonder why Haley and his extended family were so successful in life with a lineage that we learn to love.  An all-time best-selling book which deserves to be read.  It reads pretty well, but it is long, but again, worth it.