February is Black History Month, so for this month’s cemetery book review, I wanted to talk about Love Cemetery: Unburying the Secret History of Slaves by China Galland. Galland, an award-winning author and lecturer, tells a compelling story of rediscovery and reconciliation.

Love Cemetery follows Galland’s journey to restore Love Cemetery, a forgotten burial ground for enslaved people in Texas, and uncovers a painful history of racism, land theft, and environmental destruction.

Here is a snippet from the book synopsis on Goodreads:

“By the eve of the Civil War, there were four million slaves in North America, and Harrison County was the largest slave-owning county in Texas. So when China Galland returned to research her family history there, it should not have surprised her to learn of unmarked cemeteries for slaves. “My daddy never let anybody plow this end of the field,” a local matron told a startled Galland during a visit to her antebellum mansion. “The slaves are buried there.” Galland’s subsequent effort to help restore just one of these cemeteries—Love Cemetery—unearths a quintessentially American story of prejudice, land theft, and environmental destruction, uncovering racial wounds that are slow to heal.”

I read the paperback edition that I got secondhand, which contains a smattering of black-and-white photos that add to the emotional weight of the story. It took me a bit of time to finish this one because the material is a bit heavy, but I was completely invested in the journey and how the story would unfold.

Galland’s personal quest to restore Love Cemetery reveals a painful history of racial injustice. It digs into hard truths, but it’s also a story about finding hope and connection in the face of that history.

I was drawn to how Galland handled these difficult subjects with care and determination. The efforts made to restore the cemetery are a powerful example of how remembering the past—and confronting it—can be a step toward reconciliation. It really is a thought-provoking read.

I recommend Love Cemetery to anyone interested in learning about the history of slavery, the ongoing impact of racial injustice, and the importance of remembering and confronting the past.

Thanks for reading! 

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I am always on the hunt for cemetery-related book recommendations. If you are an author and have a cemetery-related book you would like me to review, please reach out at hello@chantallarochelle.ca. I would love to hear from you.