Two Sams
Two Sams, based on historical documents and oral history, traces the journey of an African-Canadian family from colonial slavery, through the American Revolution, and on to the hardships of life as Black Loyalists in colonial Nova Scotia.
Sam the father tells the story from the family's time in slavery, escape to freedom, and participation on the British side in the American War of Independence. After the war, when the family has moved to the British colony of Nova Scotia, Sam the son takes up the tale, when the Black Loyalists have to try to survive with little food, poor housing, few tools, and persistent white racism.
book details
6x9 paperback, 254 pages
ISBN 9781998149292
From the back cover
Prepare to be transported back in time. In this, her second novel, Sharon Robart-Johnson provides a logical and realistic picture of a time in the history of Black Nova Scotians that was not viewed as important enough for anyone to record in great detail their day-to-day experiences.
Using historical records, Two Sams beautifully shapes the Nova Scotia narrative from the voices of some of the province's first Black Scotians. It also traces the locations and ownership of families, broken promises, and the generational wealth garnered through enslavement by white settlers. The characters use the dialect and speech patterns of the times to provide a feel of realism that enables readers to obtain a glimpse of the complexities and simplicity surrounding their quest for survival in their new land, and the reality of never being fully accepted as citizens.
Two Sams is a must for any reader who is interested in Nova Scotian history and the African Nova Scotian narrative.
Sergeant Craig Marshall Smith, MOM, author of The Journey Continues - an Atlantic Canadian Black experience
ebook available
An e-book edition of Two Sams is or will be available from Kindle, Kobo, and other major outlets.