Name: Roots
Author: Alex Haley

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

A lot

Significant; brutal depictions of slavery including beatings, mutilation, and the violence of the Middle Passage

Language

Some

Some strong language, including historical racial slurs used in their historical context

Sexual Content

Some

Moderate; sexual violence against enslaved people, including rape, treated with gravity rather than exploitation

Substance Use

Barely any

Mild; period substance use

Emotional Intensity

A lot

Significant; the psychological devastation of slavery across generations, and the profound resilience required to survive it

What this book is about

Alex Haley's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1976 saga follows his family across seven generations, from Kunta Kinte's capture in The Gambia through the Middle Passage, American slavery, Emancipation, and the long journey toward freedom. One of the most important works in American literature, Roots is unflinching in its depiction of the violence, degradation, and psychological devastation of slavery — and equally powerful in its portrait of survival, family, and endurance. Adult content throughout; the depictions of slavery are not sanitized.