Rarely do ordinary words, ordinary lives touch you in such an extraordinary way. I’ve pondered a lot about what exactly it is about Roots that moved me so much. And the more I think, I find more answers. So many, that it’s going to be hard to be coherent.

Roots is a story of determination of two men. One of them, Kunta Kinte, born in Gambia in West Africa in 1750s, and brought as a slave to America, who against all odd wanted to pass on his African heritage to his only daughter. And another, Alex Haley (the author), born in the 20th century, who was determined to trace back his roots, based on oral history/legends of his maternal family. Haley has done a great job of narrating the story, which in many ways is a story of a whole people. It touches your heart in many ways. And it’s a must read for all Indians, because it throws a light on what happens to people who’s history is made unaccessible to them, turned against themselves.. But it is also a story of hope, of assimilation, of human will, of slavery, of freedom, and of relativistic cultural anthropology.

There is so much in the introspections of Kunta Kinte that strikes a chord, that Kunta Kinte is really a symbol of humanity -- not of heroism, not of black-and-white morality, but a humanism past morality. And that’s why Roots is really a human book, above all.

A word of caution before I move on to an all out praise, the book is extremely slow paced for the most part, and is very descriptive; also, it is not for a light reading. It may make it impossible to concentrate on other aspects of living. So before you start with it, make sure that you have the luxury of a deep introspection. But having said that, it’s one of the most extraordinary books that I’ve ever read.

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