New Book Looks at Slavery through Lens of Love

Date: Thursday, January 06, 2005By: NIA NGINA MEEKS, BlackAmericaWeb.com Tales from the Underground Railroad conjure images of marshy trails, impalpable terror and snarling bloodhounds, all leading to the sweet scent of freedom north. Seldom does anyone focus on what might motivate someone to risk uncertain roads and unspeakable punishments. Yet Betty DeRamus looked at both, peeling back the familiar stories and finding declarations of true passion – not just for self determination, but for spouses, family, even God, in her debut release, Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad (Atria 2005), due next month. “The story of slavery is not just the story about trouble, but also triumph,” DeRamus told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “We don’t talk about the triumph enough, how many of us managed to survive the worst of times by clinging to ourselves. We’re all we had.” In each of the 14 chapters of Fruit, DeRamus focuses on a different form of love and devotion that drove black people from – and sometimes even toward – slavery. Full Story: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/slavery105