Olaudah Equiano:  From Slavery to Freedom Book Cover

What's the Book About?

A fascinating biography. Born the son of a chief, forced into slavery as a child, Olaudah Equiano became a bestselling author and leading exponent of the abolition movement. A biography

Book Details

  • Band:
  • Scheme: Collins Big Cat
  • Type: Non-Fiction
  • Author: Paul Thomas

Reviews from Our Readers

Ciaran (Age 7)

Rating: 5 / 5

This book is about
When Olaudah was 11 years old, he was kidnapped by some slavers. First he was sold to a British Royal Navy officer, who allowed him to get an education. The officer sold him to a person called Robert King, who gave slaves jobs on his plantation. Olaudah was given the job of a gauger (who weighed and measured the sugar cane) because he was able to read, write and use numbers. Robert King paid Olaudah for working. When Olaudah had £40 (£2,000 in today's money), he asked Robert King for his freedom and paid him the money. Olaudah went on an exploration and later was involved with a new plantation where slaves would be given better food and medicine. However, the ship's captain did not believe that he was a free man and he almost became a slave again. He escaped to Jamaica. The captain tried to find him and he then got a boat to England. He got involved with another adventure to re-settle slaves in Sierra Leone. There were corrupt officials on this project and so Olaudah lost his job. Eventually, Olaudah decided to become an author and wrote a book about his life. The book was published in different languages. Later, Olaudah got married and had two daughters. His wife died and soon after he and one of his daughters died. His other daughter got money on her 21st birthday that was left to her in Olaudah's will.

The main characters are
Olaudah Equiano.

My favourite part of the book is
When Olaudah gets to go to school, because he got an education which helped him in the future.

I would also like to say
Olaudah Equiano was given a new name when he was a slave, which was Gustavus Vassa. This book is similar to one on Harriet Tubman, because that one is also about slavery. The book makes you think about what it would have been like to have been a slave. There is a time-line in the back of the book.

Natasha Murphy-Latham (Age 7)

Rating: 4 / 5

This book is about
This book tells the story of Elounda Equiano who was from Africa and he was taken as a prisoner and made to be a slave. He was very clever though and he saved all of his money up so that he could pay the person who owned him, and the he did not have to be a slave any more. Elounda Equinao taught himself how to read and write and he went on to be very clever and he wrote a lot about slavery And he lived in the United Kingdom and he helped to abolish the slave trade

The main characters are
Elounda Equiano is the main character. He was from Nigeria in Africa but he was made to be come a slave when he was only a child. He was very good because he helped himself to learn to read and write and he saved all of his money to pay not to be a slave any more. He was a merchant in the United Kingdom and the Caribeean and he helped to change what people thought about slavery in this country forever.

My favourite part of the book is
I thought he was very brave and clever. I find it hard not to spend my pocket money, but he saved up for years so that he did not have to be a sllave any more. He Wrote about his life so that people could know how bad it was to live life as a slave.

I would also like to say
When I got this book I thought it would be quite boring but it was really interesting. I also read a book about famous black people after this book and it helped me to understand that black people have not always been treated well around the world. I would recommend this to my friends to read.

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Olaudah Equiano:  From Slavery to Freedom Sample Page