Blonde Roots

Blonde Roots
First edition (UK)
AuthorBernardine Evaristo
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHamish Hamilton/Penguin (UK) & Riverhead/Penguin (USA)
Publication date
April 2009 (UK), January 2010 (US)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (Paperback)
ISBN978-0141031521
Preceded bySoul Tourists 

Blonde Roots is a novel by British-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo. Published by Penguin UK in 2009 and Penguin USA in 2010,[1] this satirical novel re-imagines and reverses the history of transatlantic slavery, with Africans as the masters of European slaves. In 2009, it was awarded the Orange Prize Youth Panel Choice[2] and the Big Red Read Award.[3]

Plot

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Set in an alternative, quasi-dystopian present, Blonde Roots describes a world in which ‘whyte Europanes’ are routinely enslaved by ‘blak Aphrikans’ and made to serve wealthy blak families, or to work the plantations on the fictional island of Great Ambossa.

The novel comprises three sections, two narrated by an enslaved whyte girl, Doris, one by her wealthy and privileged master, Chief Kaga Konata Katamba I.[4]

Throughout the novel we follow the protagonist and principal narrator, Doris Scagglethorpe (whose slave name is Omorenomwara). Kidnapped as a child from a family of cabbage-growing serfs in the north of England and transported to Great Ambossa, abused and dehumanized by her owners, she finally attempts to escape and return to her family. Sent to the cane plantations as punishment, Doris joins a community formed by generations of whyte slaves, and with their help, plans another escape attempt.[5]

Themes

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The novel is preceded by the following quotation from Nietzsche: ‘"Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth."[6] The novel deals with themes of race and power, and "the ...irreversible effects of racism",[4] reminding us "...that ‘us’ and ‘them’ could so easily have been reversed, and that regarding someone as less than fully human is the root of all tyranny."[7]

Language

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With a title that has been linked to Alex Haley’s 1976 novel Roots,[8][9] Blonde Roots is Evaristo's first novel written entirely in prose.[10] Language in the novel is used partly as a source of humour: Europa is referred to as "the Grey Continent", with its "Coal and Cabbage Coasts," [11] and Evaristo re-invents the slaves' patois as a "skipping vernacular,"[4] while the section of the book narrated by the slave owner was based on "documents and primary sources from the archives of 18th century slaveholders."[12]

Reception

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Reviews

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Blonde Roots was widely reviewed and well-received on release.[13][14] The Independent called it (Evaristo's): "boldest step to date," and praised "its bittersweet, riotous humour."[15] The Guardian spoke of the "musicality and exuberance" of Evaristo's prose[2], and Publishers Weekly in the US stated: "Evaristo delivers an astonishing, uncomfortable and beautiful alternative history."[16]

Honours and awards

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Publication information

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  • Blonde Roots (Hamish Hamilton/Penguin, 2008; Riverhead/Penguin, USA, 2009, ISBN 978-0141031521)

References

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  1. ^ Evaristo, Bernardine. "Blonde Roots". Penguin Books website. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b Flood, Alison (3 June 2009). "Bernardine Evaristo wins 'alternative' Orange prize". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Bernardine Evaristo biography". British Council website. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Evans, Diana (1 August 2008). "The Independent".
  5. ^ Merritt, Stephanie (23 August 2008). "When slavery isn't such a black-and-white issue". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  6. ^ Merritt, Stephanie (23 August 2008). "When slavery isn't such a black-and-white issue". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  7. ^ Merritt, Stephanie (23 August 2008). "When slavery isn't such a black-and-white issue". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Bernardine Evaristo: 'I don't want to be a slave to history'". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  9. ^ October 2008, Gwyneth Jones Issue: 27 (27 October 2008). "Blonde Roots by Bernadine Evaristo". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 23 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Merritt, Stephanie (23 August 2008). "When slavery isn't such a black-and-white issue". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Blonde Roots, By Bernadine Evaristo". The Independent. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  12. ^ "article:Evaristo: memorable women characters and slavery turned upside down". Università Ca' Foscari Venezia. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Blonde Roots By Bernardine Evaristo". Bookmarks. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Blonde Roots". Bibliosurf (in French). 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  15. ^ Evans, Diana (1 August 2008). "Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo". The Independent. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Fiction Book Review: Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo". Publishers Weekly. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Bernardine Evaristo - Casa della poesia" (in Italian). Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  18. ^ Guest, Katy (10 May 2009). "Teenage picks: Six teenagers set to judge Orange Prize alongside the regular panel". The Independent. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  19. ^ "New Writers". Women's Prize for Fiction. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
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