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Book Reviews of Roots: The Saga of an American Family

Roots The Saga of an American Family
Author: Alex Haley
ISBN: 140438
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1

4.5 stars, based on 1 rating
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Write a Review

12 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

dellrosie avatar reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 46 more book reviews
I truly enjoyed rereading this wonderful story of one family's history in the time of slavery. Everyone should read this, black or white.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 41 more book reviews
One of the must read books of the time. It reads really well. The history is enlightening. I learned much from Haley's family history.
ldesherl avatar reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 2 more book reviews
This is a huge book. Alex Haley, the author, authored it after extensive study of his African heritage, going back to his ancestor, Kunta Kinte. The author opens this book with Acknowledgements. Micheal Eric Dyson, a professor and expert on race relations, wrote the Forward for this book. Alex Haley spreads all his actual content in 120 chapters.

I was aware of this book for much of my life. Though I have read many books on race relations and own some, I have never read ROOTS. But this is a book that arguably should be required reading in every high school and college. So many book, whether black or white authors write them, lay out principles and concepts about racism and race relation, Alex Haley uses narrative to describe the experience of his particular family tree. Going back to his ancestor, Kunta Kinte, fleshes out the horrors, inhumanity, and evil of how black people were originally brought to the United States against their will.

The original victims of slavery were abducted and taken against their will. The author's use of narrative to flesh this out is powerful. And these slaves were trafficked to slave owners. As a white person, it is to the shame of MY ancestors that all this happened. The author lays out how slave owners crassly referred to these slaves as "niggers." Reading all this makes it wholly understandable that some black leaders are calling for reparations.

The book states that seven generations, including Kunta Kinte, appear in this book. For some reason, I was able to trace only five. It does not appear that the author had any children of his own, so no generations after him apparently follow. But this book is an education about how, through narrative, slavery brought blacks to the United States.

I recommend this book for anyone who is willing to wade through a huge volume. I recommend the book for white people, so we can see, through narrative, the horrific and bitter heritage of slavery for black people. It is an education. I recommend this book for anyone, whatever their race or ethnicity. I'm aware that some have surmised that this book is fiction, though the author states that it is all based on a true story. Even if ROOTS contains fiction, it only illustrates what we all know to be all too true: The arrival of the first blacks to this country was based on racial injustice and evil done to them.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. H researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. H researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. H researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. H researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. H researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. H researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. He researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. He researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.
reviewed Roots: The Saga of an American Family on + 175 more book reviews
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in the United States? Do your children complain that you are treating them like slaves when you ask them to take out the garbage? What was it like for the slaves who were transported from Africa? What did They think about it? How did they live beforehand? What happened to their descendants - do you know any of their descendants?

Roots by Alex Haley answers many of these questions. He researched his family back to Africa, when his ancestor was kidnapped and sold as a slave. He takes the reader from the birth of this ancestor, Kunta Kinte, through the generations, to himself, Alex Haley. The story is easy to read, and also enthralling. Back in the 1970's it was made into a television min-series. I Think this might have been the first ever TV mini-series. It starred Lavar Burton as Kunta Kinte. It is very worth-while reading. Although acceptable for teens & adults, I will not allow my 9yo to read it yet.