If you have a child in your life, this is a wonderful book to get and read with them.   “Inspired by a true account, here is the compelling story of a child who arrives in America on the slave ship Amistad —and eventually makes her way home to Africa.”

Author Monica Edinger is a fellow Friend of Sierra Leone and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. We both made our first trip back to Sierra Leone together in 2011 after many years.  We were privileged to visit the ruins of Bunce Island, an old slave fort in the Freetown harbor from where captives like Magru, the girl in her book would have been shipped. Truly amazing.

I read about Magru’s story after I returned home,  She was an actual nine year old girl in Sierra Leone sold into slavery, sailing on the Amistad ship to Cuba in 1839.  You may recall the Amistad story from Spielberg’s movie of the same name, where captive slaves were able to revolt, take over the ship, and in trying to return to Africa, ended up in the U. S.  Fortunately, the northern U. S. , where their diplomatic and legal case ended up going to the Supreme Court.

It’s most interesting to read stories like this one of the Amistad and the nine year old girl, Magru, from the African perspective.  I’ve learned a lot about this chapter of Sierra Leone’s history in reading various things; but that can be for future posts.

You can read this story of a nine year girl on the Amistad ship in Monica’s beautifully illustrated book with your kids.  You’ll probably learn something yourselves. Thank you, Monica.

You can watch Monica’s Trailer linked here.  http://medinger.wordpress.com/africa-is-my-home/