First published 2026
After emancipation in 1865, members of the Freedom Generation began an extraordinary quest to reunite with family members torn away during slavery's cruelest practice: the forced separation of families at auction. Judith Giesberg chronicles this lesser-known chapter of American history through nearly five thousand letters and newspaper advertisements that formerly enslaved people placed in their search for missing spouses, children, parents, and siblings. These searchers persisted for decades, some continuing their efforts into the 1920s, even as most Americans wanted to forget slavery's legacy. Pastors read the advertisements aloud in churches to reach those who couldn't read. Giesberg founded the archive containing these documents and conducted extensive research to trace the stories behind them. She reveals the outcomes of these searches and provides context about the families, their experiences, and their former enslavers. The book illuminates both the devastating impact of family separation under slavery and the remarkable determination of those who refused to give up hope of reunion.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, african-american, 19th-century, social-justice, american-history
Vibes: emotional, historical, inspiring, intimate, poignant, thought-provoking
Tropes: collective-narrative, found-family, historical-documentation, resilience-against-adversity
Setting: United States, American South
Period: 1865, 1920s, Post-Emancipation Era, Reconstruction
336 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: racism, slavery