Biography of a Runaway Slave by Miguel Barnet, Esteban Montejo, W. Nick Hill (Translator)

From the Publisher

In this remarkable testimony, Cuban novelist and anthropologist Miguel Barnet presents the narrative of 105-year-old Esteban Montejo, who lived as a slave, as fugitive in the wilderness, and as a soldier in the Cuban War of Independence. Honest, blunt, compassionate, shrewd, and engaging, his voice provides an extraordinary insight into the African culture that took root in the Caribbean.

Times Literary Supplement

Its contribution to our understanding of Cuban history and national temperament is no less than its immense appeal as a human testament.…All the fire and dash of the Cuban character, the refusal ever to cringe or to give up, take on flesh and meaning in the reminiscences of this stubborn veteran.

Library Journal

In this 1968 title, Cuban poet, novelist, and anthropologist Barnet recounts the life of Esteban Montejo, a former slave who became a fugitive living in the wild and later served as a soldier in Cuba's war for independence. Barnet received the information firsthand through interviews with Montejo in his 105th year (he lived to 113). Though on the surface this is the story of one man, on a larger scale it serves as an account of how African culture was introduced to the Caribbean through slavery. This is the first paperback edition of the volume.

Product Details