Biography of a Runaway Slave

952 Words4 Pages
Book review #1: Biography of a Runaway Slave The book Biography of a Runaway Slave entails the captivating and surreal life of a young man in Cuba whose name is Esteban Mesa Montejo. This book is very unique in a way that it tells a true story in such a perfectly intertwined narrative. Though Miguel Barnet, the author, interviewed every word, the words feel so real and it gives a sense of true slavery and what it must have been like in 19th century Cuba. Miguel’s purpose of this book was to give people a realization and understanding of what slavery was like. Anyone who grabs this book and dives into its narrative will surely feel and understand what slavery must have been like. One becomes in sync with Esteban and it feels as if you are living in the 19th century right along his side. The themes encompassed in the Biography of a Runaway are just as important in being able to tell such a great story. Themes ranging from religion and ethnic customs play largely in portraying the life of slaves in the 19th century. Even though Biography of a Runaway Slave was written much time later, way after the abolishment of slavery it’s intention was to give people a powerful descriptive story of what it was like to live in times that Esteban lived in our current times and it does a great job in telling a story of a runaway slave. Miguel’s style of writing shows true feelings of what Esteban felt about different types of slaves and what they meant to him. “Truth is that the blacks were honest.” (pg. 26) Many of the testimonials coming from Esteban are raw and he does not hold back. Every word is the truth and it gives a more sense of realness to the narrative. His feelings of the Chinese and so forth show that even between the slaves, things weren’t all so great. A huge part of the beginning of the book describes the baracoons. The barracoons were the home to the salves.
Open Document