by Rob Edwards
First published 2025
Robert Smalls transforms his life from enslaved person to Union Navy Captain through one audacious act of theft and courage. Author Rob Edwards structures this biography around Smalls telling his own story to his grandson in retirement, creating an intimate frame for recounting extraordinary historical events. The narrative follows Smalls from his birth in bondage through his daring theft of a Confederate vessel, his military service, and his later career as a Congressman. Edwards draws from documented historical records to reconstruct how one man's split-second decision to commandeer an enemy ship changed the course of his life and contributed to the Union war effort. The book offers readers both a personal story of individual determination and a window into the broader experience of African Americans who fought for their freedom during the Civil War.
Genres: biography, american-civil-war, historical-fiction, african-american, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: heroic, historically-grounded, inspiring, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: frame-narrative, historical-courage, personal-determination, rags-to-riches
Setting: Union, Confederate States
Period: 19th century, American Civil War era
128 pages · Paperback · Stranger Comics
Content warnings: racism, slavery, war