Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts

This part graphic novel part memoir tells the story of women-led slave revolts during the Middle Passage and chronicles scholar Rebecca Hall’s quest to uncover their history. Women warriors planned and led revolts on slave ships and fought enslavers in the Americas, but their legacy was erased. Dr. Rebecca Hall, a historian and granddaughter of slaves, challenges the accepted history of slave revolts, which portrays enslaved women as passive. She delves into old records, logs, correspondence, and forensic evidence to find women warriors.

Rebecca constructs the pasts of Adono and Alele, women rebels during the Middle Passage, and women who led revolts in Colonial New York. She also explores how the legacy of slavery shapes her life as an attorney and historian. This story of a personal and national legacy reminds us that the past shapes our present.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)