... a remarkable book, striking a delicate balance between two seemingly incommensurate approaches: Miles’s fidelity to her archival material, as she coaxes out facts grounded in the evidence; and her conjectures about this singular object, as she uses what is known about other enslaved women’s lives to suppose what could have been.
[Miles'] lyrical account presents the obscene inhumanity of slavery while celebrating the humanity of its victims ... Miles combed South Carolina plantation records to find information about Rose and Ashley, and she weaves her findings into fascinating and informative stories. Yet in the end, her research, while highly plausible, could not be conclusive. Systemic racism extends to the archives ... The result is a deeply layered and insightful book ... Where historical information is lacking, Miles effectively draws on novels and the published and unpublished memoirs of numerous African American women to imagine what the archives cannot reveal ... more than a compelling primer on African American history or an indictment of America’s moral failures. Throughout, Miles reflects on love. The love of enslaved mothers for their children. The love of the author for her grandmother. The love with which enslaved women’s hands wove fabric, sewed clothing and stitched quilts...In the hands of a gifted historian like Miles, such beloved things form an alternative archive from which to restore Black women’s past emotions and experiences ... Equal measure historical exploration, methodological experimentation and moral exhortation, Miles calls her work a 'meditation' rather than a monograph. That seems right, and while it may not be traditional history, it is certainly great history. All That She Carried is a broad and bold reflection on American history, African American resilience, and the human capacity for love and perseverance in the face of soul-crushing madness.
Miles is renowned for her ability to spin touchingly personal stories out of deeply researched material. Her latest tour de force centers on Ashley’s Sack, which is on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. From this single piece of history, Miles traces three generations of Black women from 1850’s South Carolina to the recent past, crafting her own indispensable artifact in the process.
... bold and innovative ... [Miles] ably conjures plantation life in the antebellum south, drawing on memoirs and other narratives of the enslavement ... The recurring speculations and suppositions might cause some historians to wince. But Miles’s great achievement is her ability to wield an extraordinary empathy ... The book successfully invokes a toxic period in American history with powerful reflections on the artefacts – all now lost – placed in Ashley’s sack and listed on its front.
Miles does a difficult task incomparably well ... With gentleness and historical acumen, Miles explores the history of this sack, and why it is important in larger terms as part of African American history ... will transport readers to difficult times in American history, and make them think more carefully about all the physical goods they take for granted in their day-to-day lives.
... poignant ... This volume paints the fascinating history of Ashley’s sack in a readable, episodic account that is largely free of stuffy, academic language that often goes with this territory. Award-winning scholar Miles presents a riveting account of how Ashley’s sack was rediscovered and traces Ruth’s journey through the Great Migration while exploring the family’s lineage. Filled with rare, archival photographs of objects from the era, this volume is a natural choice for book clubs and a must-buy for public and academic libraries alike. The book will also appeal to fans of genealogy television shows such as Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
With skillful writing, the author carefully explores South Carolina’s history of economic dependence on slavery, and discusses the efforts of enslaved people to obtain sustenance and clothing and maintain family connections. Drawing on scant genealogical records and letters from people who were formerly enslaved, as well as research on ornamentation, Miles creates a moving account of three women whose stories might have otherwise been lost to history ... Readers interested in often-overlooked lives and experiences, and anyone who cherishes a handcrafted heirloom, will enjoy this fascinating book. With YA crossover appeal, the accessible, personal writing sets this book apart.
... brilliant and compassionate ... Like those of most enslaved people, the stories of Rose and Ashley are largely lost to history, but Miles carefully unravels the records and makes a credible case that they may have been the property of Robert Martin in coastal South Carolina ... With careful historical examination as well as empathetic imagination, Miles effectively demonstrates the dignity and mystery of lives that history often neglects and opens the door to the examination of many untold stories ... A strikingly vivid account of the impact of connection on this family and others.
Miles paints an evocative portrait of slavery and Black family life in this exquisitely crafted history ... Filling gaps in the historical record with the documented experiences of Harriet Jacobs, Elizabeth Keckley, and other enslaved women, Miles brilliantly shows how material items possessed the 'ability to house and communicate... emotions like love, values like family, states of being like freedom.' This elegant narrative is a treasure trove of insight and emotion.
