‘Roots’ is a compelling saga about an African American family. Alex Haley traces his family history back to where it all began. It begins with a birth, in 1750, in the African village of Juffure and ends seven generations later, at an Arkansas funeral of a black professor, Haley’s father.
Kunta Kinte, known as the ‘African’, is kidnapped by white slave traders and shipped over to America to be sold. He survives the horrors of the middle passage to arrive in America to face further hardship as a slave. His story is preserved through word of mouth for generations by his descendants, slaves and free people, who had to face their own adversities as black Americans. This book is their story.

I would say that this book is a ‘must read’ for everyone. It is especially good for anyone who is interested in genealogy, slavery or the history of African American people.

I really liked the early chapters of this book that describe Kunta’s life in his village in Africa. The story moves slowly during these chapters, detailing the daily lives of the village people, their customs, traditions, festivities, and travels. Although they were called savages living in the jungle, they had a very structured life style that the westerners had not bothered to see or understand.

When I finished reading this book I wanted to find out more about Alex Haley and his ancestors. I also wanted to share this magnificent book with other people. While searching on the internet I came across the Kunta Kinte – Alex Haley foundation web site, http://www.kintehaley.org. This foundation supports educational and research projects, and preserving African-American history, art, culture, and genealogy.

I was overwhelmingly moved by this book. It is an incredible, fascinating story that is full of emotion. Anyone who reads this book will laugh and cry with its characters. You cannot help but feel their joy and pain.

Alex Haley was an American biographer, scriptwriter, author who became famous with the publication of this book. He was born in Ithaca, New York in 1921. The same year, his family moved to the small town of Henning, Tennessee. In Henning, Alex heard stories from his maternal grandmother, Cynthia Palmer, who traced the family genealogy to Haley's great-great-great-great-grandfather, who was an African, called "Kin-tay".
During WW II Haley enlisted in the Coast Guard as a mess boy. After twenty years of service, he left the Coast Guard in 1959 to become a full-time writer. He wrote for Reader's Digest biographical features, interviewed Miles Davis for Playboy, and produced THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X, his first major work. It appeared in 1965 and had an immense effect on the black power movement in the United States.
Source: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ahaley.htm

I recommend this book for everyone because I truly believe that is it a ‘must read’. You will be amazed at the endurance and resilience of the human spirit. It is an extraordinary book, an acclaimed classic that should not be missed by anyone.

After he was captured and brought over to America, Kunta Kinte’s only thought was to return to his homeland. He was never able to achieve this. But he retained his identity and passed it on to his daughter. Seven generations later, his descendant, Alex Haley, travelled to Africa and to the village of Juffure, to rediscover the past. This was Kunta Kinte’s triumph and his ultimate gift to his family.

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Created Sep 02, 2004 at 11:51am • Submit your own review...