The Between The Covers podcast is presenting this year’s Canada Reads winner.
Toronto actress Kim Roberts reads an abridged version of Lawrence Hill’s epic novel The Book of Negroes. She’s narrating the story of Aminata Diallo, a young West African girl who was sold into slavery and brought to the indigo plantations of South Carolina.
After defying the plantation owner and losing her infant son, Aminata is sold to a Jewish indigo inspector who takes her to Charles Town. Here she learns to read and keep books in English.
The Lindos are relatively kind to her, encouraging Aminata to take up her midwifery skills again — but she is still a slave.
Each episode of Between The Covers is between sixteen and seventeen minutes. You can download the next few episodes right here. And join the CBC Book Club to participate in discussions about the Canada Reads winning title and discover more about the author and the novel.
Episode 16: A smallpox epidemic takes the lives of many close to Aminata.
Episode 17: A church choir transports Aminata back to her time aboard ship.
Episode 18: Aminata tastes freedom for the first time.
Episode 19: Aminata settles in Canvas Town as the resident teacher and baby catcher.
Episode twenty: Aminata is given the job of recording the names in The Book of Negroes.
If you missed previous podcasts you can download them at Between the Covers podcasts. If you’re interested in readings of other Canadian books, check out the Hear A Reading page on the Between the Covers site.
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