First published 2006
Henry Townsend works his plantation in Manchester County, Virginia with meticulous care. Born a slave, he gained his freedom and learned the ways of power from William Robbins, the county's most influential white landowner. Now Henry owns slaves himself, running his estate with strict discipline while staying within the bounds of law. His death arrives without warning, leaving his wife Caldonia to manage the complex world he built. She struggles to maintain control as the careful order Henry established begins to crumble. The slaves, overseers, and neighbors all respond differently to the power vacuum his absence creates. Jones examines how slavery corrupted both the enslaved and their masters, revealing the moral contradictions that defined this footnote in American history.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-ambiguity, power-dynamics
Setting: Manchester County, Virginia
Period: 19th-century
388 pages · Paperback · Amistad
Content warnings: racism, slavery