Barracoon. Adapted for young readers

This adaptation recounts the life of Cudjo Lewis, who was among the last known survivors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Zora Neale Hurston interviewed him during repeated visits in 1931, when he was 86. Lewis described his childhood in Africa, his capture at 19, his illegal transport to the United States after the trade had been outlawed, and his life during and after enslavement. An introduction supplies historical context on the slave trade, slavery in America, and the young-readers adaptation. Hurston also discusses the language Lewis used in telling his story.