Gregarious, learned and engagingly open-minded, the book meets America where it is on the subject — which is to say, all over the place.

It is for these moments, seemingly small, that Smith reserves the hush of his own surprise and learning. Rarely in a book of this scope does one find such careful reconstruction and attention to rhetoric.

In rich, evocative language, Smith synthesizes first hand research, textual sources, and interviews as he weaves a lyrical and precise tapestry of the truth of America's past that many would like to continue to hide.

... traces, in a sustained and pragmatic way, crucial sites in our historical narrative, and exposes the bitter experiences that, as Americans, we have long sought to suppress.

... an eminently readable, thought-provoking volume, with a clear message to separate nostalgic fantasy and false narratives from history.

... subtle and extraordinary.

... a magnificent nonfiction retelling of America’s battle with itself over race and slavery.

... an intrepid trek covering lots of ground.

... Smith tells vivid and sometimes harrowing stories of places that reveal the history of slavery in America.

Smith’s purpose is never to put anyone on the spot. This isn’t Borat. What he does, quite successfully, is show that we whitewash our history at our own risk. That history is literally still here, taking up acres of space, memorializing the past, and teaching us how we got to be where we are, and the way we are. Bury it now and it will only come calling later..

Smith’s gifts as both a poet and a scholar make How the Word Is Passed a richly provocative read about places where the story of American slavery lives on.

It is an ambitious undertaking, one that Smith narrates with a beauty that is often heartbreaking as it reveals (intentionally or not) our public education system’s failure to engage students with their history.

I'm so glad that many people are eager to read this vitally important work. For me, aside from the value of uncovering, acknowledging and narrating the stories of slavery and tracing its impacts, it is a powerful testament to the value of making history public, whether in plaques that identify long-buried (literally and figuratively) sites in the shameful history of our country, or in the invaluable work of skillful tour guides, bravely telling the truth even when it makes tourists uncomfortable. It will encourage any reader to contend more deeply with our country’s history --- and maybe even set out on their own journeys of discovery and reckoning..

... reads as both history and memoir: a stunning exploration of atrocities committed against Black people, and a thoughtful, clear-eyed account of one Black man trying to reckon with these places in the past and present.

... [a] powerful and diligent exploration of the realities and ongoing consequences of slavery in America..

Some of the sites and histories that Smith revisits are well-known (for instance, Monticello and Sally Hemings’s story); others, such as Louisiana’s Angola prison/plantation, or the benefit Wall Street drew from slavery long after its abolition in New York, are refreshing new takes.

... a devastating portrait with unforgettable details.

... moving and perceptive.