Fictionalized lives of historical figures sometimes work and sometimes just irritate me: I'm always delighted to be able to report when it's the former. Paterson Joseph has creatively imagined much of the life of Charles Ignatius Sancho, imagined as a sort of diary/autobiography written for one of his sons. Well crafted and quite readable, and certainly will make readers want to go and explore the historical figure's biography. ( )

I was excited to get this book as an early reviewers edition, as the synopsis had sounded very promising. Sadly, the book did not deliver for me. I totally lost interest half way through. I believe the diary format was too cumbersome and verbose for me. While I believed the subject matter to be of importance, I could not bring myself to finish the book.

This fictional diary offers a unique perspective on the life of a real historical figure, Sancho, an 18th-century African-British man who rose from slavery to become a prominent writer, composer, and social activist. The authenticity of these diaries allows readers to witness the challenges Sancho faced and his remarkable resilience. His eloquent prose in the style of his own time displays a deep understanding of human nature, and his reflections on injustices and creative musings resonate with urgency and purpose.

The book also provides valuable historical context through insightful commentary and footnotes, enhancing the reading experience. It sheds light on the social and political landscape of 18th-century England and the prevailing attitudes towards race and slavery, enriching our understanding of Sancho's achievements and their impact. While the diary entries can be fragmented and lack a cohesive narrative, and the historical context occasionally overshadows Sancho's own words, they invite readers into the inner world of a remarkable individual and serve as a testament to the indomitable spirit that triumphs over adversity.
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I wanted to read The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph (and my thanks to Early Reviewers for the opportunity!) for a couple of reasons. Sancho himself, 1729-1789, was a black man in London, born into slavery and in service for his childhood to three sisters in a place and time in which slavery was not strictly legal. I was also intrigued to read his imagined diaries, a form that afford the writer a safe outlet to express his intimate thought and feelings.

Mr. Joseph is an actor by profession, and this is his first novel. It is not bad, but it's not particularly good either.

It was a mistake to take on the diary format, which is augmented by sections in italics in which Sancho is making comments to his son for whom he is supposedly compiling a story of his life from diary excerpts. He also includes a selection of letters exchanged between himself and the woman he eventually marries. A straight limited third person point of view would have served Mr. Joseph better. My problems with the book, which distracted me all the way through, are tied to the un-diary-like writing and the woodenness of the characters. Joseph has Sancho tell us what he felt, what he said and did, sometimes why he did it, but none of this ever comes to life. He writes for example, having escaped the three sisters without any means to support himself in London, "I stretched my stiffened frame and felt a kind of damp sluggishness wash over me. Hunger, my constant companion lately, began to knock at the door of my stomach, and I felt the emptiness of having not eaten for some time." Or, when he first meets the woman he later marries, he writes, "My ear drums vibrated deliciously as she spoke - directly - into my ear." I think that this and pretentious word choice are meant to convey an idea of eighteenth century diction. They don't.

This could have been a fine novel in the hands of a more experienced writer. I wish I had let ER award this copy to somebody who would have appreciated it more. ( )

The author refers to this book as "imaginative storytelling" based on what he knows of a young black man called Charles Ignatius Sancho in London in the mid 1700's. Sancho's life begins on a slave ship and after many fortuitous, as well as grevious situations he ends up not only being the first Black person to vote in Britain, but also emerges to play an important part in the social life of London. Well written and well-researched. ( )