First published 1992
Nat Turner sits in his Virginia jail cell in 1831, waiting for death. The slave preacher led the only successful slave uprising in American history, and now he must account for his actions. Speaking to his captors, Turner reveals the story of his rebellion through the lens of his faith and his calling from God. His confession unveils the brutal realities that drove him to revolt: the betrayals that broke trust, the cruelties that broke bodies, and the humiliations that broke spirits. Turner's narrative exposes how slavery damaged both the enslaved and their masters, creating wounds that would outlast the institution itself. Through his final testimony, Turner transforms from condemned prisoner to prophetic voice, showing how the violence of bondage inevitably breeds the violence of resistance.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: prophetic-voice, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Virginia
Period: 1831
453 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: slavery, violence