Wake

A must-read graphic history… an inspired and inspiring defence of heroic women whose struggles could be fuel for a more just future – Rosemary Bray McNatt * Guardian *Stunning… With its remarkable blend of passion and fact, action and reflection, Wake sets a new standard for illustrating history * NPR *Powerful…. Wake is operating in the wake of slavery, and in a state of being awake to the past, a process Hall frames as both devastating and grounding * New York Times Book Review *Hall and Martinez deserve tremendous credit for their work in making this research accessible… a superb accomplishment on every level * Popmatters *Not only a riveting tale of Black women’s leadership of slave revolts but an equally dramatic story of the engaged scholarship that enabled its discovery – Angela DavisAn urgent, brilliant work of historical excavation * Kirkus *Wake is a revelation. Rebecca Hall’s sparse and perfectly chosen prose intersects with Hugo Martinez’s beautiful woodcut-styled illustrations that uses the power of visual narratives that hearkens back to graphic masters like Lynd Ward and Frans Masereel. Hall’s writing cleverly flows between the reality of her research on black women-led slave revolts and speculative ideas that uncover the spectrum of human experience and resilience – John Jennings, Eisner Award-winning illustrator of Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Parable of the Sower graphic novelsA lot of Black history is uncelebrated narratives, but even within that history there are narratives that are especially overlooked; these tend to be the stories of Black women. Rebecca Hall’s diligent research and intelligent storytelling has flipped that script to celebrate the brave enslaved Black women who fought and died for their freedom with dignity. Hugo Martinez’s expressive art brings these women to vivid life on the page – Joel Christian Gill, author of Strange FruitHall and Martínez connect the past and the present in a moving and exciting narrative that brings to light the history of slavery in the United States. Showing how enslaved women resisted slavery, even though their participation in rebellions remain largely absent from written records, Wake will be a crucial tool to introduce students to the problematic nature of slavery primary sources. – Ana Lucia Araujo, Professor of History, Howard UniversityIn this beautiful and moving graphic novel, historian Rebecca Hall unearths a history so often overlooked: the significant role Black women played in leading slave revolts. Through Hugo Martinez’s vivid graphics, combined with Hall’s brilliant insights and powerful storytelling, Wake transports the reader to a moment in time when a group of Black women set out to overturn the institution of slavery in British North America. Their courageous story, told with remarkable skill and elegance, offers hope and inspiration for us all. – Keisha N. Blain, author of Set the World on Fire

Rebecca Hall (Author) Rebecca Hall is a lawyer, historian and activist. She has taught history at UC Berkeley, and was a visiting professor of law at the University of Utah. Her writing focuses on the history of race, on gender and law, and on feminist theory.

Hugo Martinez (Illustrator) Hugo Martinez is a comic book illustrator and artist from California.