Roots By Alex Haley

Kunta Kinte stepped out into the river bank (Gambia River) to cut wood for his drum, after his duty as a village guard.
He is captured by toubob (white man),and transported in a ship to America...in  1770.

Kunta Kinte is sold as a slave. He makes four futile desperate attempts to escape, but is caught each time.

His foot is cut off, and he becomes helpless and hopeless.

Resigning to his fate, he settles down to serve his toubob master.

Kunta Kinte falls in love with a slave woman, Bell, his master's cook, Dr John Wallar.

Kizzy is born, and gets too close to Miss Anne, who teaches her to read and write--a taboo for slaves.

In a love tangle with Noah, a slave boy, she gives him a pass, and Noah escapes, but is captured.

Kizzy is sold to Massa Lea, who impregnates her.
Kizzy gives birth to a boy, named Chicken George.

Kizzy tells him the story her father told her. "I, Kunta Kinte, from the village of Juffure in Gambia, went to cut wood for my drum. I was captured by the toubob; transported from the Gambie Bolong (Gambia River) to America, and sold as a slave."

Chicken George told this story to his children, who told the story to their children...who told the story to their children, who told the story to their children,
until Alex Haley heard the story.
Alex Haley travelled on the Gambie Bolong to the village of Juffure, where a groit recounted the capture and disappearance of Kunta Kinte from the village of Juffure.

That story is recaptured in this book as ROOTS.