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Tutuba: The Girl from the Slave-Ship Leusden
On 19 November 1737 the slave-ship "Leusden" left Elmina (Ghana)with a 'cargo' of 700 abducted and imprisoned Africans who would be sold as slaves in Suriname. One of them was the fifteen-year-old girl Tutuba.
On 1 January 1738, after a successful six-week voyage, the Leusden stranded on a sandbank in the Marowijne River and was wrecked. All the crew members were able to save themselves, but the 664 prisoners in the hold met a piteous death because the crew had battened down the hatches. By chance, Tutuba and fifteen others survived this disaster. Her tale and the captain's account are described in this gripping historical novel.
On 1 January 1738, after a successful six-week voyage, the Leusden stranded on a sandbank in the Marowijne River and was wrecked. All the crew members were able to save themselves, but the 664 prisoners in the hold met a piteous death because the crew had battened down the hatches. By chance, Tutuba and fifteen others survived this disaster. Her tale and the captain's account are described in this gripping historical novel.
118 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Cynthia McLeod
22 books58 followersMcLeod was born in Paramaribo as Cynthia Ferrier; she is the daughter of Johan Ferrier, the first President of Suriname, and the sister of author Leo Henri Ferrier.
She completed her secondary school education in Suriname and continued her education in the Netherlands, where she studied to become a teacher in Child Care and Education. She married Dr. Donald McLeod whom she met in the Netherlands. In 1962 they went to Suriname, where McLeod studied for a teaching degree in Dutch Language and Dutch Literature. From 1969 to 1978 she taught Dutch Language and Literature in pre-university education in Paramaribo. Her husband, Donald McLeod, was appointed in 1978 as Suriname’s Ambassador to Venezuela. Then he became Suriname’s Ambassador to Belgium and the United States of America. Abroad McLeod started writing and especially during her stay in Belgium she had the opportunity to do research in the archives of The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Emmerich, and Köln.
In 1986 the McLeods returned to Suriname and in 1987 her debut novel Hoe duur was de suiker? (The cost of sugar) was published by publisher Vaco in Paramaribo. The first print was sold out within a few weeks and Cynthia McLeod became the most famous Surinamese novelist overnight. Later this historical novel about the sugar cane industry in the 18th century was published under license by her Dutch publisher Conserve. Soon other historical novels from her hand appeared, such as Hitchin wegwijzer vervolging.
As a result of her long research McLeod has gained a wealth of knowledge about Surinamese history; knowledge she gladly shares with others. For the Surinamese school youth she organizes free educational trips with her motorized vessel, the Sweet Merodia. During these tours over the Surinamese Rivers, past former plantations, she captivates her audience with stories about its interesting past. She further engages in historic city tours through the centre of historic Paramaribo, which has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2002.
She completed her secondary school education in Suriname and continued her education in the Netherlands, where she studied to become a teacher in Child Care and Education. She married Dr. Donald McLeod whom she met in the Netherlands. In 1962 they went to Suriname, where McLeod studied for a teaching degree in Dutch Language and Dutch Literature. From 1969 to 1978 she taught Dutch Language and Literature in pre-university education in Paramaribo. Her husband, Donald McLeod, was appointed in 1978 as Suriname’s Ambassador to Venezuela. Then he became Suriname’s Ambassador to Belgium and the United States of America. Abroad McLeod started writing and especially during her stay in Belgium she had the opportunity to do research in the archives of The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Emmerich, and Köln.
In 1986 the McLeods returned to Suriname and in 1987 her debut novel Hoe duur was de suiker? (The cost of sugar) was published by publisher Vaco in Paramaribo. The first print was sold out within a few weeks and Cynthia McLeod became the most famous Surinamese novelist overnight. Later this historical novel about the sugar cane industry in the 18th century was published under license by her Dutch publisher Conserve. Soon other historical novels from her hand appeared, such as Hitchin wegwijzer vervolging.
As a result of her long research McLeod has gained a wealth of knowledge about Surinamese history; knowledge she gladly shares with others. For the Surinamese school youth she organizes free educational trips with her motorized vessel, the Sweet Merodia. During these tours over the Surinamese Rivers, past former plantations, she captivates her audience with stories about its interesting past. She further engages in historic city tours through the centre of historic Paramaribo, which has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 19, 2021
This is the horrifying story of Tutuba and how she was abducted from her home in Ghana to end up as a slave in Suriname.
It's written in a straight forward style and we follow the journey of the slaveship Leusden with its 'cargo' of 700 abducted and imprisoned Africans. Just before reaching land, the ship stranded on a sandbank and was wrecked. All the crew members were able to save themselves, but the 664 prisoners in the hold met a piteous death because they were locked in below deck. By chance, Tutuba and fifteen others survived this disaster. This is the single largest human tragedy in Dutch maritime history and in the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and yet it's virtually untold.
It's written in a straight forward style and we follow the journey of the slaveship Leusden with its 'cargo' of 700 abducted and imprisoned Africans. Just before reaching land, the ship stranded on a sandbank and was wrecked. All the crew members were able to save themselves, but the 664 prisoners in the hold met a piteous death because they were locked in below deck. By chance, Tutuba and fifteen others survived this disaster. This is the single largest human tragedy in Dutch maritime history and in the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and yet it's virtually untold.
January 9, 2019
I purchased this book to learn more about Surinam but found that it largely deals with the abduction and transportation of slaves from Africa to Surinam. At the very end a small portion of the story takes place in Surinam but by and large the books deals with the brutal journey of freshly-enslaved Africans centuries ago. Having read, years ago, about the slave trade and how horrific these journeys were I didn't learn much from this work of historical fiction. That said, I read it on a single flight and it is a quick read.
October 16, 2023
Heart-wrenching and vivid - beautifully written
December 7, 2016
De schrijfstijl viel me tegen. Het verhaal was echter heel leerzaam.
August 5, 2016
This novella is an interesting account although it is not exceptionally insightful. It is the story of Tutuba, Captain Outjes and the slave ship Leusden. It is narrated from two points of view: that of Tutuba's, from the moment she is abducted in Ghana until her days as a slave in Suriname, and that of Jochem Outjes', from the moment he is named captain of the Leusden until he is asked before the Surinamese court to explain what happened to the ship at the end of the voyage.
As I said, it's an interesting book, but it is narrated in such a straightforward manner, that it seems more like a long, short story. In addition, the novella is more of a description on the life of slaves and their experience on slave ships, and the fact that it is an account of a true story made it a worthwhile read, but I didn't read anything that I had not known before about this topic. However, I really liked how the narration of each chapter switches from Tutuba to Captain Outjes. All in all, it was an interesting read but there was nothing exceptionally insightful about it if you are already familiar with slavery and slave ships.
As I said, it's an interesting book, but it is narrated in such a straightforward manner, that it seems more like a long, short story. In addition, the novella is more of a description on the life of slaves and their experience on slave ships, and the fact that it is an account of a true story made it a worthwhile read, but I didn't read anything that I had not known before about this topic. However, I really liked how the narration of each chapter switches from Tutuba to Captain Outjes. All in all, it was an interesting read but there was nothing exceptionally insightful about it if you are already familiar with slavery and slave ships.
January 16, 2015
Ik vond dit boek zwaar tegenvallen. Ik verwachtte een boek voor volwassenen en het bleek een kinderboek te zijn. Ik dacht dat het dieper in zou gaan op de ramp en de reacties van de personages en dat gebeurde niet. Ik had beter het Wikipedia artikel over de ramp kunnen lezen. Misschien is dit boek interessant voor een 12-jarige die nog helemaal niets over de ramp en slavernij in het algemeen weet, maar voor mij was dit veel te eenvoudig en saai.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews