|
bannba
, October 20, 2023
(view all comments by bannba)
The Other Princess was an engrossing read that sent me searching for additional historical facts concerning the people and events portrayed. The title refers to a young African girl, the daughter of a tribal king, who saw her family brutally slaughtered by a rival chieftain when she was just five years old. Aina was taken prisoner and held for two years until she was rescued by an English man, who persuaded the chieftain to release her as a "gift" to Queen Victoria. Renamed Sarah Forbes Bonetta, the young girl revealed herself to be charming and keenly intelligent with a particular aptitude for music and languages. Queen Victoria acted as a guardian of Sarah, provided abundantly for her upkeep and directed her studies. The novel follows Sarah's life shifting from Africa to England and veering back and forth several times.
This book was an absorbing read with detailed descriptions of life in tribal nations and cities in Africa, residential schools run by missionary groups, and the missionaries' influence in Africa at the time. The book discloses some of Queen Victoria's imposing wealth and power in the world during that period. This fictional account of historical events is a provocative tale of Black people in many situations, including wealthy businessmen and being "given as a gift" to a white person. Although Queen Victoria considered Sarah her guardian rather than an enslaved person, the young woman was subject to Queen Victoria's wishes. Highly thought-provoking.
|