Roots - A Fable Reading Guide for the Alex Haley Masterpiece
Hayley Dennings
Join the Levar Burton Book Club to read “Roots.”
Download Fable’s free book club discussion questions for Roots.
Did LeVar Burton star in Roots?
LeVar Burton starred in the landmark television adaptation of “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” playing the central character of Kunta Kinte in 1976.In a video introduction to this book, LeVar spoke about why this historic series is so important:"There was an America before ROOTS and there was an America after ROOTS. Post ROOTS, America was a greater, more enlightened nation. We came to a better, deeper, more informed understanding of the evil nature, intent, and outcomes of chattel slavery as practiced in America."
Fable is a social platform for book clubs designed for people to share the joy of reading. In his club, Fable members can read (or reread) this monumental novel with LeVar Burton. As club members read, he’s sharing photographs, videos, podcasts, art, music, and other resources.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ-pe7QFD-YWhat kind of book reviews did Roots receive?
"Roots" found immediate success when published in October 1976, debuting at number five on the New York Times Best Seller list, then increasing to number one by mid-November.Book sales increased once the TV adaptation was released. Of the 46 weeks "Roots" spent on the NYT’s list, 22 of those weeks were at number one on the list. Haley won a Pulitzer Prize for the book in 1977. The TV series has received many awards, including nine Emmys.With "Roots," Haley brought awareness to the bleakness of the United States and its haunting treatment of Black people:“Roots is a study of continuities, of consequences, of how a people perpetuate themselves, how each generation helps to doom, or helps to liberate, the coming one.”
Adding onto this statement, James Baldwin also wrote, “Haley makes us aware of the disaster overtaking not the black nation, but the white one.” Despite this series being published decades ago, the themes surrounding race and history remain relevant today.Why was Roots so popular?
Alex Haley’s novel sold over one million copies in the first year, and 130 million people tuned into the miniseries. The book won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award because, as the publisher explains, “Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past.”For many years, the book and miniseries were a standard teaching tool in classrooms around the country. Generations of Americans have learned about America’s terrible period of slavery through this story, and it has helped us face the systemic racism that still flourishes in our country. The publisher of the book offered this statement about "Roots:""Roots" fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in "Roots." Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish "Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition" to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of "Roots."
Is Kunta Kinte a real story?
Alex Haley blended seven generations of family history into his novel about Kunta Kinte. At the end of the book, he explained how he created the story:"To the best of my knowledge and of my effort, every lineage statement within Roots is from either my African or American families’ carefully preserved oral history, much of which I have been able conventionally to corroborate with documents. Those documents, along with the myriad textural details of what were contemporary indigenous lifestyles, cultural history, and such that give Roots flesh have come from years of intensive research in fifty-odd libraries, archives, and other repositories on three continents."
In this video, you can meet Alex Haley, learning more about the family history behind his novel.https://youtu.be/zSd7QYXAVocQuotes from Roots by Alex Haley
Here are a few great quotes from "Roots," illustrating the timeless power of this novel.“He couldn't believe such incredible wealth actually existed, that people really lived that way. It took him a long time to realize that they didn't live that way, that it was all strangely unreal, a kind of beautiful dream the white folks were having, a lie they were telling themselves: that goodness can come from badness, that it's possible to be civilized with one another without treating as human beings those whose blood, sweat, and mother's milk made possible the life of privilege they led.”
“Then, after a while, a clear voice called out in Mandinka, “Share his pain! We must be in this place as one village!” The voice belonged to an elder. He was right.”
“But no matter how long he stayed among them, Kunta vowed never to become like them, and each night his mind would go exploring again into ways to escape from this despised land."
“'Is this how you repay my goodness--with badness?' cried the boy. 'Of course,' said the crocodile out of the corner of his mouth. 'That is the way of the world.'”
"He said that three groups of people lived in every village. First were those you could see—walking around, eating, sleeping, and working. Second were the ancestors, whom Grandma Yaisa had now joined.“And the third people—who are they?” asked Kunta.“The third people,” said Omoro, “are those waiting to be born.”
What age is Roots appropriate for?
Educators consider “Roots” appropriate for mature readers aged 14 years or older. Along with graphic violence, the series also depicts inhuman treatment mental and physical hardships that might be troubling for some people to experience.The History Channel has published a free guide for educators, designed for bringing "Roots" into the classroom for "advanced high school students, college students and general audiences."Discover more great stories on Fable
You can keep reading with a list of book clubs reading books by Black authors.Still looking for more to read? Fable has plenty of free books in every genre!You can also explore our book club directory, discovering more new friends and new books to share.
Hayley Dennings