“That Zora Neale Hurston should find and befriend Cudjo Lewis, the last living man with firsthand memory of capture in Africa and captivity in Alabama, is nothing shy of a miracle. Barracoon is a testament to the enormous losses millions of men, women and children endured in both slavery and freedom—a story of urgent relevance to every American, everywhere.” Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Life on Mars and Wade in the Water “Zora Neale Hurston’s genius has once again produced a Maestrapiece.” Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple “Barracoon is a powerful, breathtakingly beautiful, and at times, heart wrenching, account of one man’s story, eloquently told in his own language. Zora Neale Hurston gives Kossola control of his narrative— a gift of freedom and humanity. It completely reinforces for me the fact that Zora Neale Hurston was both a cultural anthropologist and a truly gifted, and compassionate storyteller, who sat in the sometimes painful silence with Kossola and the depth and breadth of memory as a slave. Such is a narrative filled with emotions and histories bursting at the intricately woven seams.” Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Here Comes the Sun “A searing reminder of how recently American slavery ended, and the depth of the pain it caused.” The Economist “A deeply affecting record of an extraordinary life.” Daily Telegraph “Barracoon and its long path to print is a testament to Zora’s singular vision amid so many competing pressures that continue to put us at war with ourselves.” Huffington Post Books of the Year – The EconomistBest Books of 2018 – New York Public LibraryBest Books of 2018 – NPRBest Books of 2018 – SELF.comBest Non-Fiction Books of 2018 – TIME

RARE, SPECIAL CONTENT: From a classic American writer comes the true story of Cudjo Lewis. This is the only narrative to cover the life of a person who lived in Africa, was captured by slavers, transported through the Middle Passage, and endured slavery in the Americas. It is told in the vernacular in which he spoke, which makes it more authentic. Titles on slavery are a popular book selling category. BEFORE AND AFTER: The package will also include an Introduction from scholar and literary critic, Deborah Plant. Deborah G. Plant is an English literature and Africana Studies scholar and literary critic whose special interest is the life and works of Zora Neale Hurston. Her books on Hurston include Every Tub Must Sit on Its Own Bottom: The Philosophy and Politics of Zora Neale Hurston (Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 1995), The Inside Light: New Critical Essays on Zora Neale Hurston, editor (Westport: Prager, 2010), 20 essays on recent findings and issues in Hurston studies; and Zora Neale Hurston: A Biography of the Spirit (Westport: Prager, 2007). Plant has been the keynote speaker for National Endowment for the Arts Big Read progams on Their Eyes Were Watching God. She has served as a consultant, resource, and speaker at Fort Pierce’s Zorafest over several years. TV AND FILM: Lionsgate and Common’s Freedom Road Productions have acquired the rights to develop Barracoon as a limited television event series. New material includes: In Search for Zora Neale Hurston by Alice Walker Book Club Questions Competition: Swing Time;Americanah;Long Walk to Freedom;Why the Caged Bird Sings;I am Not Your Negro;Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race;Beloved;Hitting a straight lick with a crooked stick. Zadie Smith;Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie;Maya Angelou;Nelson Mandela;Malcolm X;Toni Morrison