Thursday, October 24, 2013

Book Beginnings: Breaking Chains by Gregory Nokes


Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader now has a Facebook page. I plan to post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it, or click the button over there in the right hand column.  I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I am trying to follow all Book Beginning participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

MR. LINKY



MY BOOK BEGINNING




There are two versions of how Robin and Polly Holmes, both Missouri slaves, came to Oregon. One, told by Robin Holmes, is that his owner, Nathaniel Ford, persuaded him to come in exchange for his freedom. The other, told by Ford descendants, is that Holmes begged to come and Ford brought Holmes – and Holmes' wife and children – against his better judgment.
 
-- Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory by R. Gregory Nokes. 

Breaking Chains is the story of Robin Holmes' 1853 trial against his former owner Nathaniel Ford for breaking his promise to free him and his family in exchange for getting Ford's Oregon farm up and running.  Nokes uses the story of the Holmes family to explore how the issues of slavery and racism played out in the American West.

Nokes is a former journalist and the author of Massacred for Gold: The Chinese in Hells Canyon (reviewed here), the highly readable account of 34 Chinese gold miners murdered in Hell's Canyon in1887.  There is a new documentary, also called Massacred for Gold, based on the book (watch the trailer here).



Rose City Reader Jumps on the Facebook Bandwagon!


Rose City Reader finally has a Facebook fan page!

You can now find this blog on Facebook as Rose City Reader Book Blog. Please "Like" the page, either by visiting it here and clicking the Like link, or by clicking the Like box over there in the right hand column.

I have had a Facebook professional page (Gilion Dumas, Attorney) for a while now, but put off making a fan page for my blog because it felt like one more social media obligation.  But I use Facebook myself, way more than twitter or google+, so I figured I would actually use my Facebook page to connect with my own favorite book bloggers.

OTHER BLOGGERS:  If you have a Facebook fan page of your own, please let me know. I am happy to Like you back!  I'll do the same for your business or professional pages if you Like my attorney page. Let's connect!

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