Fortune's Bones

Uncover the life of an 18th-century slave through a poetic journey of discovery.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 239 ratings

40 pages· 2,125 words· Est. 17 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

In a Connecticut museum, a skeleton's story unfolds. Historians reveal it belongs to Fortune, an enslaved man whose life was marked by toil and family bonds. Through poetic verses, explore Fortune's journey from labor to legacy, as his bones whisper tales of resilience and forgotten history. What truths will emerge from the shadows of the past?

From the publisher

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award For young readers comes a poetic commemoration of the life of an 18th-century slave, from a past poet laureate and three-time National Book Award finalist For over 200 years, the Mattatuck Museum in Connecticut has housed a mysterious skeleton. In 1996, community members decided to find out what they could about it. Historians discovered that the bones were those of an enslaved man named Fortune, who was owned by a local doctor. After Fortune’s death, the doctor rendered the bones. Further research revealed that Fortune had married, had fathered four children, and had been baptized later in life. His bones suggest that after a life of arduous labor, he died in 1798 at about the age of 60. The Manumission Requiem is Marilyn Nelson’s poetic commemoration of Fortune’s life. Detailed notes and archival photographs enhance the reader’s appreciation of the poem.