Bound for America: The Forced Migration of Africans to the New World (by Jim Haskins)

BOUND FOR AMERICA uses its title as an unhappy pun, as the book exposes the difference between immigration by choice and dehumanizing coercion. Second in a projected seven-part series called From African Beginnings, this well-researched history focuses on the escalation of slavery in the New World and its dire effects on both American and African cultures. It is carefully organized in concise chapters that keep the story clear even when the historical context is very meaty.

Careful integration of text and illustrations enhances the impact. Eight handsome paintings by Floyd Cooper hold the book together so that the narrative remains in the context of his soft but graphic paintings of suffering men, women, and children. The book tells slavery's dirty secrets, often quoting slaves and contemporary observers. It clarifies not only the personal sufferings of individuals but also slavery's disastrous effects on African culture.