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This is the discussion thread for Nat Turner by Kyle Baker.

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This was hard for me to read, due to the content and the nearly-wordless nature. I think it's an important read, though, as it's too easy for us to forget or gloss-over the realities of slavery in America. This book does not shy away from the reality.

I agree that this was a hard read, mostly due to the content it covers. It is good to know the history and before I read this book I had never heard the name of Nat Turner. I was struck by how he had adopted the Christian faith but I do wonder if he retained any spirituality from his ancestors or mixed that with the practices of the enslavers. I wonder too if he would have been able to accomplish the uprising he did if he didn’t have faith that he was following the direction of a higher power. We are taught about crusades being holy and ordained. But they are nothing but murdering sprees in the name of a god. I would not call the Nat Turner uprising an insurrection or a rebellion, but a crusade. Nat Turner heard the call to violence in the name of his god. That is the very definition of a crusade.

Russell wrote: "Nat Turner heard the call to violence in the name of his god. That is the very definition of a crusade."

Good point.

Russell wrote: "I wonder too if he would have been able to accomplish the uprising he did if he didn’t have faith that he was following the direction of a higher power."

Interesting thought. I would think probably not. It does seem like a belief in a higher calling enables people to persist longer and to sustain traumas and trials that many others wouldn't be able to sustain. Joan of Arc comes to mind, for example.

I actually was thinking about Joan of Arc when reading this GN! How she went to her death seemed to be the same as Nat Turner. With peace knowing they had done the work they had been called to and were moving on to a better place.

Russell, I don't know how you feel about novels in verse, but there's a good novel in verse from Joan's perspective that's really interesting and moving. It's "The Language of Fire" by Stephanie Hemphill. (The mobile app doesn't give the book/author link options; I'll try to edit this on desktop later to link.)