Memories of the Slave Trade : Ritual and the Historical Imagination in Sierra Leone

Rating:
Summary: Detailed research
Review: Rosalind Shaw has created a very well documented and meticulous research of divination by the Temne and Mende people of Sierra Leone, Africa. However, while the details and dialog are detailed, at times there is just too much information just to make a simple point, with a few too many examples. She does not make, in my opinion a strong case as to the relationship between the memories of slavery and colonialism and the language and customs of the divinators. Patterns and similiarities can be seen, but they could have been expressed in about 100 pages, with thorough sources and notes, instead of the 300+ pages currently written. Shaw knows her stuff, but unless you are specializing in this field, you better learn to skim...the conclusion at the end of the chapters summarizes what takes her 20+ pages to defend.