Review of Columbus, Slave Trader

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Carrie Osborne 1
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Latest Review: Columbus, Slave Trader by Marcus Wilson

Review of Columbus, Slave Trader

Post by Carrie Osborne 1 »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Columbus, Slave Trader" by Marcus Wilson.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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Columbus, Slave Trader is a work of historical fiction chronicling the voyages of Admiral Columbus in Hispaniola. The main character is an endearing native that narrates his voyage from Haiti to Spain, and back again to be with his people. He is the hero of the story, with stalwart friends that add to the adventurous and engaging aspects of the tale.
When Columbus cannot fulfill his promises to the Queen of Spain of finding new lands and gold, he decides, after many difficult months of exploration, hardship, and ill-health, that he needs to bring something of value back to Spain. Despite their ill-treatment by Columbus’s men, the natives in Haiti help the Spaniards in their most desperate hours, but in the end, Columbus opts to leverage his benefactors by capturing and selling them in Spain, where slavery is legal. This book offers a new perspective on Columbus, which is interesting. His relationship with the natives, the Royals in Spain and specifically the main character, makes this a book that is hard to put down.
Religion plays a large part in this story but oddly does not add to or detract from the compelling nature of the book, in my opinion. It is merely a fact that Spain intended to convert the natives in Hispaniola, and Columbus fails to baptize a single soul. I love that the author portrayed the natives as showing more Christian-like behavior than the pious Spaniards.
This is a well-written and captivating story. It is easy to follow and, despite the sometimes-disturbing content, an enjoyable read. I appreciated the perspective from the native population and learning about the time period. I rate this book 4 out of 5 due to the errors throughout, especially at the end of the book, where the mistakes added up and became a distraction.
I think anyone interested in the history of Hispaniola would appreciate this unique perspective on the times. The treatment and captivity of the natives are harsh and difficult to read about, so I would caution anyone sensitive to abuse and violence to be careful about deciding to read this book.

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Columbus, Slave Trader
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