Barracoon: The Story of the Last ''Black Cargo'' Audiobook

Quotes

• “Zora Neale Hurston’s genius has once again produced a Maestrapiece.”

  — Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author

• “An impactful story that will stick with you long after the final page.”

  — Parade

• “Though both Hurston and Lewis are long gone, Hurston’s account of the former slave’s life serves as a timely reminder of our shared humanity—and the consequences that can occur if we forget it.”

  — People

• “The details he shared with Hurston are indelible…[In] Hurston’s attentive gaze [there is] not restitution but the consolations of kinship and witness.”

  — New York Times Book Review

• “Hurston’s recovered masterpiece, Barracoon, is a stunning addition to several overlapping canons of American literature…[Hurston] makes herself almost invisible in this book, dedicating entire chapters to Kossola’s monologues, with few authorial interventions.”

  — Washington Post

• “Barracoon and its long path to print is a testament to Zora’s singular vision amid so many competing pressures that continue to put us at war with ourselves.”

  — Huffington Post

• “Kossula’s story reminds us that Emancipation did not end those assaults on the communities and families of African Americans but rather enabled their continuation through other means.”

  — The Nation

• “A remarkable account…whose brevity disguises its richness and depth…Kossola’s story—in the vernacular of his own words—is an invaluable addition to American social, cultural, and political history.”

  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• “Robin Miles…must deliver one of the integral aspects of Hurston’s work: a reconstruction of Lewis’ African and Southern accents. Miles’ rendition is well done, with clear, deliberate diction…Traditional music at transition points sets the mood of the rural South. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

  — AudioFile

• “This is a rare account of the full experience of enslavement from capture to ‘freedom’ and a revealing look at Hurston’s maturing as a folklorist.”

  — Library Journal

• “A testament to the enormous losses millions of men, women, and children endured in both slavery and freedom—a story of urgent relevance to every American, everywhere.”

  — Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize–winning author

• “[Hurston] was determined to present Kossola’s story in as authentic a manner as possible. That authenticity includes rendering his words in patois…That mark of the griot, or West African traditional storyteller, is evident as Kossola recounts moments of resistance…We are fortunate to have this late work of Hurston’s, which is sure to be widely read.

  — Kirkus Reviews

• “A man who lived across one century and two continents, Kossola’s life was marked, repeatedly and relentlessly, by loss: of his homeland, of his humanity, of his given names, of his family. For decades, his full story, from his perspective and in his voice, was also lost, but with the publication of Barracoon, it is rightfully restored.”

  — Smithsonian

• “Barracoon is a testament to [Zora’s] patient fieldwork.”

  — Vulture

• “Brimming with observational detail from a man whose life spanned continents and eras, the story is at times devastating, but Hurston’s success in bringing it to light is a marvel.”

  — NPR