And I Alone Escaped To Tell You

by Sylvia D. Hamilton

The settlement of African peoples in Nova Scotia is a richly layered story encompassing many waves of settlement and diverse circumstances–from captives to ‘freedom runners’ who sailed north from the United States with hopes of establishing a new life. The poems in And I Alone Escaped to Tell You endeavour to give these historical events a human voice, blending documentary material, memory, experience and imagination to evoke the lives of these early Black Nova Scotians and of the generations that followed. This collection is a moving meditation on the place of African-descended people in the Canadian story and on the threads connecting all of us to the African diaspora.

Genres: Poetry, Canada, Book Club

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Sylvia D. Hamilton is a multi awarding Nova Scotian filmmaker and writer. Her poetry has been published in The Dalhousie Review, West Coast Line, The Great Black North and Untying the Apron: Daughters Remember Mothers of the Fifties. She was a contributor to and co-editor of We’re Rooted Here and They Can’t Pull Us Up: Essays In African Canadian Women’s History. Her awards include a Gemini and the Portia White Prize. Her latest book is And I Alone Escaped to Tell You. She lives in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In spite of numerous efforts over the years, I have never developed a fondness for poetry. Recently, I decided to give it another chance. I have been listening to a variety of poems on Librivox. I find that hearing the words and the rhythm of the phrases frees my mind to visualize the images and my heart to share the emotions.

Today, however, having just finished reading (yes, I did say "reading") Sylvia D Hamilton's new collection, And I Alone Escaped To Tell You, I believe that I have crossed a bridge in my journey with poetry. This collection of short historical documents and original poetry and prose is a perfect follow-up to Ruth Holmes Whitehead's book, Black Loyalists: Southern Settlers of Nova Scotia's First Free Black Community, which I read earlier this year.

Hamilton offers the reader the chance not only to revisit the people from Whitehead's book but also to become acquainted with their descendents in Nova Scotia. I found myself lingering over each page, wondering about the people and places, pondering the images, and clinging to the book as I turned the final page.

For the first time in my life, I am saying to myself, "I want to buy this book of poetry" -- and I shall.

Thank you, Sylvia Hamilton.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems to be an important book or poems with startling gems of history, politics, culture, pop culture--all of it in here about Black Canadians over a span of 200 years. Some of the poems jump off the page in their power and vivid imagery, leaving indelible marks in the mind. The ones about historical people feel important, but are not as powerful and immediate as the ones set in contemporary times. I am glad to have read this. It takes a strong stand against racism and injustice.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful collection of poetry.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The publication of this poetry collection by multi-talented African-Nova Scotian Sylvia Hamilton coincided with the airing of 'The Book of Negroes' film series on CBC television in Canada. It is a gem of a book to hold, to read and to reread.