Roots: The Saga of an American Family

Roots: The Saga of an American Family Review

I re-read this book for the first time in over 30 years, and still find it an effective portrayal of the horrible institution of slavery.

The first time I read it, I was a child (5th grade), so some things did hit me differently. I obviously understood the sexual content more. Further, at the end of the book, I had to question Mr. Haley's research. It seemed to come too easily, making me question whether he really found the African from whom he was descended.

I also question his portrayal of how Kunta Kinte was captured. I will do independent reading concerning the slave trade, but I don't see how it would have made sense for toubob to wander through Africa in the hopes that they will be able to nab an individual who wandered outside his village, considering that they had kings and warlords who were willing to do business with them, selling off criminals and POWs.

Mr. Haley admits that, except for the outline provided by his family's oral tradition, much of this book is, out of necessity, fiction. But it will nonetheless move you.

Another controversy about this book is the accusation that Mr. Haley plagiarized material from Harold Courlander's "The African" [ASIN:080503000X The African]. (I have read on the Internet that Mr. Haley had to pay 0,000 in damages; I have no idea if this is true.) I read "The African" right before re-reading "Roots". They cover similar material in part, but I was unable to discern particular passages that seemed to be lifted out of "The African". If someone could clarify where the plagiarized passages are, I'd appreciate it.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family Feature

• ISBN13: 9781593154493
• Condition: New
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Roots: The Saga of an American Family Overview

One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past. 

Over the years, both Roots and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Some of the criticism results from whether Roots is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in Roots were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case. 

But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. Roots fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in Roots. Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of Roots.
 

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