Hang a Thousand trees With Ribbons – Anne Rinaldi

Amazon Synopsis

This is a moving historical novel based on the story of Phillis Wheatley – the first African American female poet. It is an intriguing and moving story of a young girl kidnapped from her home in Senegal and sold, in 1761, as a slave to the wealthy Wheatley family of Boston. Phillis Wheatley – as she comes to be known – has a keen intelligence and a knack for learning. When the family discover her gift for writing poetry, they begin to mould her future by having her ‘perform’ for influential guests. Eventually, she is sent to England, where her work is finally published – the first book of poetry by an African American woman. However, all the trappings of success do nothing to change the fact that she is still a slave.

My Thoughts

A wonderfully told tale of the first African American female poet. It charts her life from when she was young girl in Africa, to how she got caught by slave traders, her voyage to America, then being sold into slavery. It’s a tale full of courage and determination that kept me turning the pages until the very end. The strength and determination of this young girl, her journey into womanhood, and her eventual success as a published poet is an inspiring story. This is a period of history that needs to be written about and Rinaldi has done a terrific job.