Book description
The story of Nat Turner and his slave rebellion-which began on August 21, 1831, in Southampton County, Virginia-is known among school children and adults. To some he is a hero, a symbol of Black resistance and a precursor to the civil rights movement; to others he is monster-a murderer whose…
Why read it?
1 author picked Nat Turner as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
In researching my graphic novel, I read many comics on slavery.
This atmospheric account of enslaved Virginians in 1831 is a hard read, but it made a great impression on me.
Powerfully, Baker uses the verbatim testimony from the confession of Nat Turner as he awaited execution in jail. The narrative does not pull its punches; in one scene, Turner recounts the murder of a plantation owner's baby. It is shocking, but Baker skillfully puts this in the context of the brutality of the lived experience of the enslaved, their own children being routinely abducted and sold by their masters.
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From Nic's list on The best political graphic novels.
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