Moa, a fourteen-year-old slave, gets caught up in the most significant slave rebellion in Jamaican history, paying homage to freedom fighters all over the world.
Irresistible, gripping, and unforgettable, Cane Warriors follows the true story of Tacky's War in Jamaica in 1760. A powerful young adult tale told through the eyes of Moa, a fourteen-year-old slave, this fictionalized account of the most significant rebellion of the time is rarely mentioned in history books or taught in schools.
The story begins as Moa is awoken in the middle of the night by one of the rebels, who informs him that the revolt will begin on Easter Sunday. Moa's father doesn't like the idea of his son joining the rebellion, but his mother gives Moa her blessing. Together, Moa and his sixteen-year-old best friend Keverton take up arms, learning about brotherhood, courage, faith, and sacrifice along the way.
I'll be honest: I didn't know the British had kept slaves in the Caribbean. I should have guessed, as they kept them everywhere else, but I'd never heard of it before. That's why this book is so important, of course; just as British schoolchildren don't learn about the Irish Famine, they undoubtedly don't learn about this either, and they should.
Be warned that the speech is rendered almost phonetically, and if, like me, you have trouble with dialect, it might be tough for you. If the whole book had been written that way, I might have had to give up, but as it's only speech and the occasional thought, I pushed through.
The treatment Moa and his fellow slaves receive is abominable, and the notes at the end make things even worse. I won't spoil it for you. I'd love to see this as a school novel; I think it could really do with being taught and studied. (It won't be, of course, because of the violence, but I would love it.)
This is a read that, while I can't say I enjoyed it, I'm very glad I read.
Cane Warriors publishes on the 1st October, 2020
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