If you’re an American like me, then you may never have heard of The Book of Negroes, which is a historical document that listed the African-American slaves who escaped to fight for the British so they could get freedom and evacuate to Nova Scotia before they could be re-enslaved by “the rebels,” i.e. the Americans. The US called their version of the document The Black Loyalist Directory. Some of those Black Loyalists then went to Sierra Leone.
The Book of Negroes, the mini-series, is a dramatization of this journey based on a novel about a child who is kidnapped from her parents in West Africa, survives the trip to the US and details how she survived as an adult. If you’re looking for something to watch on the Fourth of July or Canada Day that reflects the complexity of our past, then The Book of Negroes is for you. The Book of Negroes deals with the contradictions of our nations’ ideals and how those ideals were rarely applied in the case of each countries’ black patriots while following a compelling character’s tireless journey to be her own person with a voice, a history, friends and family and not someone else’s property or victim. The Book of Negroes is must see viewing. You will cry often and profusely, but The Book of Negroes isn’t a one-note suffering marathon. There was only one scenario that I found a tad unbelievable.

SPOILERS

When she returns to a village that may or may not have been her old village, how did she get back home? The slavers are still around and probably aren’t fans, especially after her husband killed one of them and cost them profits, and the people who welcomed her can’t really help because they are in danger of being kidnapped too. Next scene: she is in Britain. What? Over 5 hours of perfection would be too much to ask for anyway so at least we know that human beings made the miniseries.