Essien, Kwame: "Brazilian-African Diaspora in Ghana: The Tabom, Slavery, Dissonance of Memory, Identity, and Locating Home."(Book review)

• Author: Nti, Kwaku

Essien, Kwame. Brazilian-African Diaspora in Ghana: The Tabom, Slavery, Dissonance of Memory, Identity, and Locating Home. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2016.

Kwame Essien's book solidifies Ghana's place in the West African strand of the Afro-Brazilian narrative that is inarguably dominated by Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. In many ways, this rich exposition, regarding the abounding fortitude with which formerly enslaved Africans in Brazil and their descendants pursued multiple Atlantic crossings in search of ancestral roots, presents Ghana as a significant locale in the discourse on reverse diverse migration. The inclusion of this country in light of that larger discussion amounts to an expansion of Atlantic history, especially given Ghana's enduring connection with the transatlantic slave trade, and Pan Africanism.

The book is composed of ten chapters and is broadly divided into three parts. The copious notes have the potential to serve as reliable sources for scholars with similar research interests. The forthrightness with which the author intermittently discusses the difficulties and challenges in...