First published 1994
Frederick Douglass breaks free from the Wye House plantation on Maryland's Eastern Shore, his mind already sharpened by stolen lessons in reading and writing. The young man who once spelled out words in dirt now faces the brutal reality of life as a fugitive in 1838 America. Douglass must navigate the underground networks of abolitionists while dodging slave catchers who hunt him through Baltimore's streets and beyond. His powerful voice emerges as he discovers he can move audiences with speeches about bondage and freedom. The man born Frederick Bailey transforms himself into Frederick Douglass, but the past refuses to release its grip. He grapples with the weight of representing his people while building a new identity in the North. Gates crafts a story about the price of freedom and the courage required to claim one's own humanity.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, african-american, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, identity
Setting: Baltimore, Maryland, Wye House Plantation
Period: 1838
Hardcover · Amistad Pr
Content warnings: slavery