Stephanie Jane reviewed Black England by Ms Gretchen Gerzina
A fascinating piece of historical research
4 stars
I got a review copy of Black England via NetGalley prior to its publication in September last year and promptly lost the file on my tablet, meaning that I forgot about reading it until now which is a real shame as its a fascinating piece of historical research.
Prompted by the author's meeting a woman who staunchly believed that there had been no Black people in Britain prior to 1945, Gretchen Gerzina gives us this glimpse into Black people's lives during the Georgian era in England. Spanning the class divides and also covering elements of the abolitionist movement's agitation to end slavery altogether, Black England gave me a remarkably vivid picture of the country at this time. I did get somewhat lost during recountings of a couple of court cases - legalese is not one of my languages! - but otherwise I learnt a lot from reading Black England.