Adrian Fraser

Shakerism attracted the poorest of the poor in Saint Vincent, mostly descendants of slaves, who couldn‘t afford the “fees” to belong to the established religions. Shakers worshipped God with their whole bodies, shouting and (heaven forbid, apparently) jumping, which those opposed attributed to barbaric African culture. After decades of oppression, a law was passed in 1912 prohibiting it. Then came decades to try to repeal it. This book (yes, the cover has no title) describes the many attempts to repeal the law and the arguments by those opposed. It is extraordinarily well-researched, cited, and well-written. It‘s very legalese, but since I‘m an attorney used to it, I found it comfortable reading for the subject matter, although sometimes tedious. The subtle points are made brilliantly though—the importance of freedom of religion and how easily it can be taken away. And how difficult it can be to get that freedom back. I‘m so glad I chose to read this book simply by its unusual title!… (plus d'informations)