Goree Island: Island of No Return [Paperback]

Richard Harrison Goree (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

An estimated 20 million newly-enslaved Africans caught their last glimpse of Africa as they passed through Gore Island between the mid-1500s and the mid-1800s en route to the New World. In this novel, author Richard Gore relates how the native women of this island-the Signars-managed to survive and live well within the political, cultural and economic niche in which they were thrust as a result of their mixed lineage. With suspence and mystery, Goree tells a compelling story of survival and in so doing, unveils a nuance of African history that explores and helps identify the original empowerment of the Black woman.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I can assure you there is nothing in African fiction to rival what [Gore has] done." -- Eileen Julian, Director, West African Research Center, Dakar, Senegal; Professor, Indiana University

About the Author

Richard Gore, a resident of Detroit, Michigan, began his research for the novel twenty-five years ago by tracing his family roots back to the island that bore his name. Upon discovering the historical significance of this island and its inhabitants, Gore began weaving his research into this very powerful story.

Product Details

• Paperback: 271 pages
• Publisher: Gold Leaf Pr; First Edition edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886769087
• ISBN-13: 978-1886769083
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #909,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating blend of characters, October 10, 2011

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SeattleReader (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Goree Island: Island of No Return (Paperback)

This novel sheds light on a mysterious aspect of Senegalese history: the life and times of the signares. The fictional story of Sasha illustrates how the society of Goree Island developed around the signares, how in fact it came to be an island governed essentially by women. Wielding sexuality and intellect as equal weapons, Sasha forms Goree to her vision: a place where signares (local women of mixed heritage) keep their own customs, take temporary husbands, and actively aid those husbands in their business...which is primarily the slave trade.

Slavery is always present in the novel, as a given that everyone accepts as an inevitable part of life. Even many of the slaves seem to feel this way. It is discussed so matter-of-factly by all the characters, one almost forgets it is the same horror we think of today. Of course this blase attitude is probably close to what the people of the time would have believed, but it was off-putting at times for me as a reader.

Besides Sasha and the signares there are several other interesting characters, each bringing their bit of history to the novel: French bureaucrats from the Senegal River Company, determined to make money for the company and building a society in the process; soldiers, sailors and sea captains; English rivals for coveted French territory; Arab slave traders; free Africans and slaves. And my favorite character - Hadithe Zakale, the travelling storyteller who, following the African tradition, speads his tales from one end of the continent to the other. In this book, the tales all start and finish with Goree.

It's a shame there aren't more sources for this book, because it really was a very quick and interesting read. For anyone interested in this unusual aspect of African history, it is definitely worth picking up.