The Book of Negroes

Although it's not always easy to watch, it kept me riveted over a recent weekend.

Book of Negroes, a six-hour Black History Month miniseries, will be fairly compared to "Roots."

As Aminata Diallo (Aunjanue Ellis) reminds herself and others repeatedly, one must never give up--and it’s this steadfast hope that makes the story a particularly compelling television event.

The characters are fleshed out with multiple layers — at one point Aminata is granted something of a reprieve by a British benefactor, but he is by no means saintly — and moments of easy humor and romance are woven skillfully into the story.

Graphic cruelty, not to mention violence, makes for difficult viewing in this lavishly produced miniseries. But it’s worthwhile, especially as director Clement Virgo has opened a new window on the experience of blacks in Canada.

Ellis, particularly, gives a lead performance that is strong enough to mask some of the script’s problems.

Although history obviously mixes with fiction, there’s enough here left under-covered by traditional textbooks to make The Book of Negroes an intriguing window into the period.