The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho. Paterson Joseph. 2022.
Historical fiction. Epistolary fiction. Bildungsroman.
Delightful, fictionalized account of a real person who is thought to be the first black person to vote in Britain.
As the author himself says early in his tale, this is not slave porn. Sancho is not so much about slavery—although the subject permeates this story—as it is about personhood. Born on a slave ship of enslaved parents, the protagonist is brought to London as a child where his first role in life is that of a pet for rich people. From that point on Sancho, who is every bit as human as every other Londoner, struggles to thrive in a city where blacks are trapped by an ill-defined status somewhere between property and personhood.
This story is perfect for contemporary readers who admire the civilized tone of British literature from the 18th Century or Victorian periods. In my opinion, Paterson Joseph captures the spirit of these periods without succumbing to their outdated narrative structures. The end result is a delightful tale that entertains and educates even if it does not fully succeed as history, biography, or even historical fiction.
AUTHORS – I write short book reviews that focus on voice and vibe. They are useful to querying authors searching for comp titles. There are more like this on my website.