Based on the award-winning 2007 novel by Canadian author Lawrence Hill, The Book of Negroes takes its title from a little known and not very pretty incident in the American War of Independence. Its title refers to a ledger containing the names of 3000 slaves who were granted safe passage to the British colony of Nova Scotia after the war in exchange for their services to the British army.The American revolutionaries may have seen themselves as fighting a war of freedom to end their slavery to the British, but they didn't take such a liberal view when it came to the question of their own slaves.Developed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in partnership with Black Entertainment Television, the show was shot mostly in South Africa and local audiences can take pleasure in seeing a host of local actors in cameo roles throughout the six-part series. They include Fana Mokoena, Siya Xaba, Nondumiso Tembe, Andile Gumbi and Nick Boraine.Beautifully shot by South African cinematographer Giulio Biccari and elegantly scored by Philip Miller, this is an engaging and intelligent period series that delivers an old-fashioned adventure romance while dealing with an all too familiar and horrific period of history.The story is told from the perspective of a strong and fearless woman, Aminata Diallo, whose journey drives the narrative, from her capture in a village in Mali through the Atlantic crossing and her arrival and struggles in the American colonies.When we first meet her, Aminata is a young girl living in her village, helping her mother to "catch babies" as she travels to neighbouring villages performing her duties as a midwife. Sharply and empathetically played by 11-year-old actress Shailyn Pierre-Dixon, Aminata displays from the beginning of the series the mix of curiosity, quick-wittedness and fearlessness that will carry her through the epic journey to come.Though director Clement Virgo and Hill (who co-wrote the screenplay) manage to capture the terrible acceptance of the brutality of slavery, they do this without resorting to the brutality of a film like Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave.As the adult Aminata, Aunjanue Ellis carries the show, without resorting to sentimentalism or histrionics. She is more than ably supported by a cast of other strong actors, including Cuba Gooding jnr as a New York tavern owner and Ben Chaplin as the British officer who offers her the chance of freedom in Canada.The Book of Negroes is notable not only for the complications it creates in the American narrative of independence and equality for all but also for the way in which, through the focus on one character's journey, it raises powerful questions about the meaning of freedom.It is a shining example of how to tell an important story without scrimping on entertainment value.The Book of Negroes is on BET, DStv Channel 129 on Mondays at 8.10pm..