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4- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 3, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Hill records history in fictional page turner Continued from page 3 tions of slaves, who provided service to the British military during the American Revolution. As the British negotiated the conditions of their retreat from Manhattan, they recorded the service of the slaves in the ledger, which was literally a public passport. The slaves had been promised passage to freedom in Canada in return for their service. The ledger recorded them and is significant to the history of Blacks in North America, said Hill, because it was really the first written doc- ument that recorded information about Blacks in North America. "It's one of the most colourful, interesting documents I've ever seen," said Hill, noting people are described as "a likely fellow" or "a stout wench." The recording of people and their identity "adds dignity where none existed before," said Hill. Not many people know about the document. If Hill has his way, through his book, that will change. "It's not just Black history, it's Canadian history," said P A AN BAY CUSTOM INGROUND POOLS "Your Pool ...Our Reputation" *FREE WATERFALL FEATURE WITH FIRST 15 POOLS BOOKED BY MAY 1, 2007 Authorized Dealer of Water Place Pools & Fox Pools 905-304-1229 1-866-420-4229 * Retail value $1785.00 installation & taxes not included * Not to be combined with any other offers Hill, noting the role of storyteller is to bring "fascinating and forgotten elements of Black history to the mainstream." The book also brings to light the first ever event in what many have called the Back to Africa movement. Many of the slaves who earned their passage to Canada and became known as Black Loyalists, later were so dissatisfied with their life in Canada that they embarked on a return trip to Africa. That they did so, during the height of the slave trade, is telling of the environment in Canada at the time. Hill's character Aminata is among them. Having vowed to return to her homeland, she does. She later goes to England. Hill said that, too, is significant in that in those days, in that environment, it's astounding for someone to have made not only one, but two crossings of the ocean. Aminata escapes slavery by serving the British as a midwife and then as a scribe, recording in the Book of Negroes. At the end of the war, Aminata sails with thousands of blacks to Nova Scotia. In Shelburne, she discovers that freedom in the British colonies is illusory and in some respects just as dangerous as the slavery she fled in the American South. "It's one of the most colourful, interesting documents I've ever seen." Lawrence Hill, author In 1792, Aminata joins the first "back to Africa" movement in the history of the Americas and sails with 1,200 Black Loyalists to Sierra Leone. After a decade in Africa, Aminata sails to England to advocate for the end of the slave trade and to write the life story that becomes the novel. The Book of Negroes has been years in the making, according to Hill, who is also seeing a very different non-fiction book published this month, too, The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq, which Hill co-authored with Joshua Key. Hill's other fictional efforts include Some Great Thing while his non-fiction credits include Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada; Women of Vision: The Story of the Canadian Negro Women's Association; and, Trials and Triumphs: The Story of African-Canadians. The fact that Hill has a niche in writing about Black history is in keeping with his background on several levels. "It happened in my country and I don't even know it," said Hill of his and others' reactions. Hill is the son of a Black father and white mother. He is the son of human rights activists who each penned several books. "They wrote books, but didn't consider themselves writers," said Hill. Both he and his siblings, sister Karen who loves poetry and brother Dan of the "Dan Hill" singer/songwriter fame, have a penchant for the arts. Hill's parents married in 1953 and a love affair that endured more than 50 years began with the couple fleeing their native U.S. for Canada the day after their wedding -- interracial marriages were illegal in the U.S. at the time. Hill's mother, Donna, now in her late 70s, who hailed from a Republican family in the suburbs of Chicago, continued to work for human rights. His father, Daniel, who passed away several years ago, was what Hill calls "a major public figure." He was the first Ontario Human Rights Commissioner See Early page 5 & Make Your Home Comfort More Affordable LENNOX SALE CENTRAL AIR & FURNACE ® Up to $ 1000 Rebate *OAC * Instant 10 Years Parts & Labour Warranty * NO PAYMENT! Financing Available *Call for Details NO INTEREST! As Low As $ 3995 /month FOR 6 MONTHS AND O.A.C. 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