Sacred Hunger Summary
Barry Unsworth

Sacred Hunger Summary

This story takes place in the 18th century at the beginning of the African slave trade and follows the lives of those involved and aboard the slave ship, the Liverpool Merchant. She is built by William Kemp in the hopes that she, and the slaves aboard her, will help to erase his large debts. The Liverpool Merchant survives many ordeals, but when she blows off course filled with many ill slaves and crew members, mutiny occurs and she is landed in the swamps of southern Florida. Eventually she and her crew and slaves are found by William Kemp's son, Erasmus, but by this time the lives of all involved have been changed forever.

There are two main plots in this story; one plot follows Erasmus Kemp's life and the other follows the life of Erasmus' cousin, Matthew Paris. Erasmus is a determined and serious young man who falls in love... View more of the Sacred Hunger Summary