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Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts

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Description

A Best Book of the Year by NPR and The Washington Post An imaginative and riveting tour de force that tells the “powerful” (The New York Times Book Review) story of women-led slave revolts and chronicles scholar Rebecca Hall’s efforts to uncover the truth about these female warriors who, until now, have been left out of the historical record. Women warriors planned and led revolts on slave ships during the Middle Passage. They fought their enslavers throughout the Americas. And then they were erased from history. Wake tells the “riveting” (Angela Y. Davis) story of Dr. Rebecca Hall, a historian, granddaughter of slaves, and a woman haunted by the legacy of slavery. The accepted history of slave revolts has always told her that enslaved women took a back seat. But Rebecca decides to look deeper, and her journey takes her through old court records, slave ship captain’s logs, crumbling correspondence, and even the forensic evidence from the bones of enslaved women from the “negro burying ground” uncovered in Manhattan. She finds women warriors everywhere. Using a “remarkable blend of passion and fact, action and reflection” (NPR), Rebecca constructs the likely pasts of Adono and Alele, women rebels who fought for freedom during the Middle Passage, as well as the stories of women who led slave revolts in Colonial New York. We also follow Rebecca’s own story as the legacy of slavery shapes her life, both during her time as a successful attorney and later as a historian seeking the past that haunts her. Illustrated beautifully in black and white, Wake will take its place alongside classics of the graphic novel genre, like Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Art Spiegelman’s Maus. This story of a personal and national legacy is a powerful reminder that while the past is gone, we still live in its wake. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster


Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 21, 2022


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 198211519X


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 97


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces


Reading age ‏ : ‎ 1 year and up


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #65,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #59 in Biographies & History Graphic Novels #106 in Educational & Nonfiction Graphic Novels #123 in Black & African American History (Books)


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Wednesday, Aug 26

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Ancestry in progress
Format: Hardcover
At first I thought this was going to be slow, because I often don't like history books where the narrative follows the author around and show what they learn piece by piece. But for this book, it's part of the structure. The inspirational talk at the end is about reclaiming the past and putting it together with your present, and imagining a new, possible future. So the past and the present are in the book, and on another level the book was written and physically made in the past and you, the reader, are reading it in the present; and then you're at the end of the book and by definition everything else is the future. The book is also about Dr. Hall's search to use present understanding to get an accurate picture of the past out of records that made people into objects. So you have to see the present along with the words of the past, which are quoted in the book. "When we go back and retrieve our past, our legacy of resistance through impossible odds, our way out of no way, we redress the void of origin that would erase us. We empower and bring joy to our present. This is ancestry in progress, and it is our superpower." [from the end of chapter 10] It was fascinating to learn how large a part women played in slave revolts, often leading or starting them. It was also neat to read a little about the Ahosi, the women warriors of Dahomey - the real life Dora Milaje. In a way, it's hard to come up with something to say about this book, because so much of the historical events portrayed in the book are tragic. But it's ultimately really hopeful. Because you have to understand the past, and be able to carry it, to move on to the future. I am glad I read it. The last panel of chapter 1 is unforgettable. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024 by Eleanor Skinner

  • A must read for everyone
Format: Kindle
Not only does this provide insight into unwritten and hidden historical timeline but it also delves into women's history. How much history was erased or unwritten for not only men but specifically white men to save face? And yet here we are presently repeating the same mistakes that keep us from progressing all because the idea of confronting the secrets of the past leaves what else to discover that could change the dynamic of life as we know it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2025 by Einstein

  • Historical Women
Format: Paperback
Wasn't a huge fan of the art. The history and inspiration behind the story was cool.
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2025 by Terri

  • GET THE PHYSICAL BOOK
Format: Audiobook
I didn’t realize this was a graphic novel when I got the audiobook, so I was very confused lol. Please don’t get the audiobook and get the actual book. 5 stars because the book itself is great, but the audiobook is not worth it.
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2026 by Taylor Meyers

  • Excellent art, excellent storytelling, informative.
Format: Kindle
I taught African American history for 10 years. This book is good history. It also teaches a great deal about how history is written. I have written myself, and this book is a good story. In fact, I will now be recommending Wake as a great place to start learning Black History. I am awestruck on how well Dr. Hall connected the past to the present. You could give this book to teens who have questions about Black history, here are answers. Well done. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2023 by William Still Lodge

  • An amazing read for Black History Month and in general
Format: Kindle
This historical, non-fiction graphic novel was an insightful and fantastic read about the different women-led slave revolts that were orchestrated and conducted by enslaved Black women. This subject is often ignored, erased, and buried in history, but Rebecca Hall does an amazing job showing these warriors existed & resisted against the empire of slavery & white supremacy 💯. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2025 by Z3RO

  • Loved it.
Format: Kindle
What a thought provoking work! The format was so appropriate and well done. Quite honestly, I would have missed out on this rich experience had the author not chosen the graphic narrative to convey not only the research, but her life while researching it. It’s not because I read graphic literature, either. It’s because this topic could not be adequately conveyed in words alone. One of my favorite parts was having the ability to see the identities of the primary source documents. I can’t remember a book I’ve read before whose sources held so much meaning. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2025 by llilly

  • what an amazing way to tell hidden truths
Format: Kindle
This graphic novel is a great way to get a impactful experience with readers I am confused on how to say how much I enjoyed reading this book even though I was disturbed by what happened (What is reported was as vulgar as the reality of the time ) but the way it is shown and told was impactful and I glad I picked up this book! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2025 by Margherita Martino

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