Barracoon

The Story of the Last ""Black Cargo""

By: Zora Neale Hurston

Narrated by: Robin Miles

A major literary event: a never-before-published work from the author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God that brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery as it tells the true story of one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade - abducted from Africa on the last "Black Cargo" ship to arrive in the United States.

In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview 86-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation's history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo's firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage 50 years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States.

In 1931, Hurston returned to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile founded by Cudjo and other former slaves from his ship. Spending more than three months there, she talked in depth with Cudjo about the details of his life. During those weeks, the young writer and the elderly formerly enslaved man ate peaches and watermelon that grew in the backyard and talked about Cudjo's past - memories from his childhood in Africa, the horrors of being captured and held in a barracoon for selection by American slavers, the harrowing experience of the Middle Passage packed with more than 100 other souls aboard the Clotilda, and the years he spent in slavery until the end of the Civil War.

Based on those interviews, featuring Cudjo's unique vernacular, and written from Hurston's perspective with the compassion and singular style that have made her one of the preeminent American authors of the 20th-century, Barracoon brilliantly illuminates the tragedy of slavery and of one life forever defined by it. Offering insight into the pernicious legacy that continues to haunt us all, Black and White, this poignant and powerful work is an invaluable contribution to our shared history and culture.

©2018 The Zora Neale Hurston Trust (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Capturing the dialect, accent, and intonation of Cudjo Lewis...presents a challenging task for narrator Robin Miles, who must deliver one of the integral aspects of Hurston's work: a reconstruction of Lewis's African and Southern accents. Miles's rendition is well done, with clear, deliberate diction that places appropriate emphasis on Lewis's emotional reactions." (AudioFile)

important griot

I relished every word and will likely be quoting it for the next few years until everyone I know has read it. It provides an important historical perspective that needs to be HEARD.

Wonderful performance, but...

Great story and a wonderful performance, but why have a female narrator for a male character?

A magnificent read...

I highly recommend this book. Dora takes you into a world that many of us will never know. The detail to dialect and tone transport you back to the beginning of the 20th century. And a survivor of slavery who never forgot he was an African and not an American. The story telling is great. A book that everyone should read.

Awesome

Zora is now one of my new found favorite writers. I enjoyed listening to this book and wish that I also had a hard copy to re read anytime.

I found myself wanting more.

There are many lessons to learn from this account. The bridge from the past to present day is undeniable.

Powerful story, book's organization not stellar.

Enjoyed the main story. But I found the order of the book's contents somewhat obstructive. While there's good information in the introduction by Deborah Plant, I would have preferred it to come after Hurston's account. I skipped over it because I was eager to get to hearing the story before having someone other than the author explain it to me as a historical text.
The narrator's performance was exemplary. She excels at presenting Lewis' accent and dialect. It was somewhat disruptive to hear the narrator shift gears to include footnotes. Fortunately that didn't happen a lot. Also the appendix creates another mood shift. It begins with a description of a game that is rather abstract. Perhaps it's something better read through a printed version than listening to it.

American story telling

I loved the authentic dialect. I love the rich language and the story line. I loved how his history flowed and how the timelines were presented and weaved through this book. I felt the emotions. Hearing this story read to me may have been even better than reading the book for once even though I am from the area of the MS-AL Gulf Coast, I would have missed out by page alone.

great read!

I really enjoyed the book, and perfect for listening! Good for historical context on how slaves were brought to USA>

Amazing

The story, Zora Neale Hurston’s genius and the fantastic narration=incredibly satisfying listen. Thank you!

great!

great book. loved it. had me wanting more at the end. the narrator was the best.