Description
Book SynopsisIn
Children of Hope, Sandra Rowoldt Shell details the life histories of sixty-four Oromo children who were enslaved in Ethiopia in the late nineteenth century, liberated by the British navy, and ultimately sent to a Free Church of Scotland mission in South Africa, where their stories were recorded through a series of interviews.
Trade Review“Shell offers intriguing range of insights into the patterns of slaving in late-nineteenth-century Oromia. These shine a suggestive light into the great void of the actual experiences of enslavement in Africa, arguably the single most pervasive motivator of historical changes in the continent for up to three centuries. She tells a dramatic story with restraint, poise, and dignity.”
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Children of Hope advances our knowledge of slavery and abolition in Northeast Africa and the Indian Ocean World using a truly remarkable set of sources and a novel approach. Shell makes significant contributions to the scholarly literature by filling gaps in our knowledge of children and slavery, the practice of slave trading, and the lived experiences of liberated Africans in the Red Sea region.”
“The data here is truly remarkable. For scholars of childhood, the availability of first-hand accounts by children offers unparalleled insights into their experiences.” * H-Africa *
“This is an exceptional book that will add to children’s histories, slave studies, and Indian Ocean history.” * Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth *
“Sandra Rowoldt Shell meticulously weaves together the narratives of the children with the detailed journals and documentation from the Royal Navy, the Mission archives at Sheikh Othman and the archives and journals from Lovedale….The historiography of slavery in Ethiopia is still in an early stage, and many more questions—concerning the economic, political, and social implications of the trade in slaves and slavery itself—remain to be answered. Shell’s book is an excellent and much-needed contribution for understanding various relating dynamics.” * Northeast African Studies *
“Those in the field of Oromo, Ethiopian and African studies are indebted to Sandra Shell for bringing to life, the story of Oromo slave children.” * Journal of Oromo Studies *
