Customer Reviews

The Mother of Us All: A History of Queen Nanny, Leader of the Windward Jamaican Maroons

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This is a small book, 119 pages, that cuts a big swath. It is about an interesting period and a lively woman of the early 18th Century, someone who never made it into any of my history books. I certainly know about her now. Gottlieb pulls together threads from many sources into one rich fabric. This is a progressive book about colonialism, racism, feminism, about military srategy, about the West-African-rooted religious traditions and the use of supernatural powers that made their way into the Maroon Culture. Gottlieb obviously has great respect for her subject -- this remarkable woman, Nanny, part historical figure, part legend -- who represents a courageous struggle against oppression. The book is well-researched, illustrated, and spirited reading. Some of the historical documents can be bypassed if not interested. One is impressed with its relevance to the very same "isms" that continue to torment us in the 21st century.

This is an exceptional book on the history of Queen Nanny. This book provides a great account of Queen Nanny in Jamaica from the perspective of the Maroons, Jamaicans, and British. There are plenty of historical references sprinkled throughout the literature so that the reader can do their own research. I have a sense that she was the original "Wonder Woman" as she lived on a true "Paradise Island" and could not just stop bullets but also "catch" them. The book goes into detail about the metaphysical importance of an Obeah woman and how her power kept the strong African spirit alive within the Jamaican Maroons. It is empowering to read how such few people were able to defeat the British in so many battles. The book is brief but packed with informative information on this little known person. As a man descended from the Akan, I felt proud how the African rituals were continued in Jamaica for those that escaped human bondage. This is a great read for both men and women.