The African (Courlander novel)
Author | Harold Courlander |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Published | 1967 |
Publisher | Crown Publishers |
The African is a 1967 novel by Harold Courlander.
Plot[]
A young 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.
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[1] which later was made into a 1977 television miniseries,[2] a 1979 sequel miniseries,[citation needed] and a 2016 television miniseries remake.[3]
In 1978, Haley paid Harold Courlander and his publisher $650,000 to drop a plagiarism lawsuit.[2]
References[]
Categories:
- English-language novels
- 1967 American novels
- Novels set in Africa
- Novels about American slavery
- 1960s novel stubs