All That She Carried (eBook)

It is such a small sack, made of such very rough material. Yet as Tiya Miles shows, this textile given by a mother to her child at a time of greatest peril not only holds within it the whole unforgivable history of Transatlantic slavery, it also contains the greatest thing that anything can contain: love

Deeply and lovingly researched ... a testament to the power of story, witness, and unyielding love

Through [Miles's] interpretation, the humble things in the sack take on ever-greater meaning, its very survival seems magical, and Rose's gift starts to feel momentous in scale

[A] powerful history of women and slavery

Deeply layered and insightful ... [a] bold reflection on American history, African American resilience, and the human capacity for love and perseverance

This absorbing, heartfelt and beautifully written book traces the story of one family through a simple cotton sack to reveal the determination of one woman, sold into slavery, to protect the next generations from harm. In researching Rose's life, Tiya Miles uncovers the - too often unheard - voices of Black female slaves; and tells of their appalling suffering and remarkable stoicism.

[A] sparkling tale

Tiya Miles uses the tools of her trade to tend to Black people, to Black mothers and daughters, to our wounds, to collective Black love and loss. This book demonstrates Miles's signature genius in its rare balance of both rigor and care

A remarkable book

Tiya Miles has written a beautiful book about the tragic materiality of black women's lives across three generations, through slavery and freedom. This book is for anyone interested in learning about black people's centrality to American history

Tiya Miles has crafted a powerful, poignant narrative through a single, wondrous, ordinary object. The bag that Ashley carried stands for hope in the bleakest of times and of love. History writing at its best

A history told with brilliance and tenderness and fearlessness

Ashley's Sack, as it is known, with its short and simple message of intergenerational love, becomes a portal through which Tiya Miles views and reimagines the inner lives of Black women. She excavates the history of Black women who face insurmountable odds and invent a language that can travel across time

[An] extraordinary story ... unique and unforgettable

A brilliant exercise in historical excavation and recovery ... With creativity, determination, and great insight, Miles illuminates the lives of women who suffered much, but never forgot the importance of love and family

[A] brilliant and compassionate account