12 Years A Slave is a devastating memoir by Solomon Northup, a Black man born free in New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Solomon Northup is born a freeman in July 1808 in the town of Minerva, New York. He makes his living through the labors on the farm. In his free time, he engages in playing the violin which he is very passionate about. In 1829, he marries Anne Hampton and lives a fulfilled life of labor and love with her and their three children until a fateful day in 1841.

While on his walk, Northup is approached by two men who present him with the tempting prospect of a job with the circus company in Washington. With the desire to visit the metropolis and the anticipation of an enticing salary, Northup agrees to travel with them to Washington.

The horror ensures when Northup wakes up in a cell, drugged and bound. When he inquires about his free papers and proclaims his rights as a freeman, he is beaten up and warned not to speak of being free ever again. He is then sold to the Deep South where his life takes a turn for the worst. For twelve years of his captivity, he keeps his identity as a freeman concealed and witnesses such horrors of slavery that all his hopes for a life of liberty are dampened by the minute. His struggle through it all to finally achieve freedom in 1853 is what you will find in this heart-wrenching memoir.

How did it make me feel?

Ashamed. That’s how 12 Years A Slave made me feel. Ashamed of being called a human, when the world we live in is built upon the inhumanity of it all. This was possibly the most difficult read yet for me. I had to put it down many times because I could not go further with the description of events. And to realize the veracity of it all.

I have said it before and I will say it again; To understand the core of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is so important to get face-to-face with the history. It is imperative to strip naked the face of the disgraceful human conduct before we take a step towards racial reconciliation. It is important to shatter our hearts before we begin the healing. 12 Years a Slave is a must-read, not only for this generation but for generations to come, if we are to take the right path into the future.

I highly recommend it. Click here to get your own copy. If you use my link to buy, I may get a small commission which will help me keep my blog running! 🙂 Thank you for your support!

Have you read it? Share with me your views on why you think works of literature like these are important.