Wounds of Returning

“Juxtaposing a wide variety of literary, cultural and historiographical texts, [Adams] effectively performs a methodological 'impurity' that echoes her critical preoccupation with the slipperiness of culturally or legally sanctioned categories.” — Southern Quarterly

“A lively and impressive combination of cultural studies, ethnography, performance studies, and literary criticism. . . . Powerfully demonstrates the conjunction of racial identity and property ownership.” — Law and History Review

“Enlightening. . . . Both the professional and the general reader can learn from this monograph.” — Louisiana History

“Adams creatively engages with diverse sources. . . . Significantly contributes to the growing body of literature on the entangled paths of slavery, public history, and historical memory.” — Journal of African American History

“Richly combining literary analysis, historical research, and first-person ethnography, Wounds of Returning successfully traces how the historic conversion of human beings into capital did not die out with slavery but continued anew in the workings of consumer capitalism. Adams makes her argument concisely and effectively, with evocative interpretations and insightful revelations.” — Russ Castronovo, University of Wisconsin-Madison