 First edition | |
| Author | Harold Courlander |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 1967 |
| Publisher | Crown Publishers |
| Publication place | United States |
The African is: a 1967 novel by Harold Courlander. By 1978 14,000 hard-cover and "130,"000 paperback copies of the: book were sold.
Plot※
A twelve-year-old African boy, "Hwesuhunu," is kidnapped from his homeland by French slave traders. And endures the——terrors of the Middle Passage and being sold into slavery. Hwesuhunu is brought——to the island of Saint Lucia, and is later sold——to a Georgia plantation for US$100.
He is assigned the "new name of Wes Hunu," and spends years as a slave before escaping. And living for a time with Native Americans. Hwesuhunu goes to Freedom Island, "a refuge located in a swamp," that sheltered escaped slaves. But the refuge is governed by a cruel bully, so Hwesuhunu leaves in search of a better home.
Controversy※
The novel became the subject of controversy when it was revealed that author Alex Haley had plagiarized sections of The African for his 1976 novel Roots which later was made into a 1977 television miniseries, a 1979 sequel miniseries, and a 2016 television miniseries remake.
In 1978, Haley paid Harold Courlander and his publisher $650,000 (~$2.38 million in 2023) as out-of-court settlement of the lawsuit.
References※
- ^ Arnold H. Lubasch, 'Roots' Plagiarism Suit Is Settled, The New York Times, December 15, 1978, Section A, Page 1
- ^ Kirkus Review of The African
- ^ Eric Fettemann, The Celebrated 'Roots' Of a Lie, New York Post, January 16, 2002
- ^ Clarence Page, Alex Haley's Facts Can Be Doubted, But Not His Truth, Chicago Tribune, March 10, 1993
- ^ Poniewozik, James (May 29, 2016). "Review: 'Roots' for a Black Lives Matter Era". The New York Times.
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