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In the tradition of Wench and Twelve Years a Slave, this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia. Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Brown was promised her freedom on her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes around, instead of the idyllic life she was hoping for with her true love, she finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured, and sold every day. Forced to become the mistress of the brutal man who owns the jail, Pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice to protect her heart in this powerful, thrilling story of one slave’s fight for freedom.
Publication Year: 2021
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0 02024 reads: 291/250
content warnings: slavery, racism, sexual assault, violence
pheby brown is an enslaved woman who grew up with the promise of freedom on her eighteenth birthday. however, when that day comes around, she’s thrown into the infamous devil’s half-acre, a jail for enslaved people. pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice as she’s forced into being the jail owner’s mistress.
i’ve heard so much about this book, so hearing that the author would be coming to my state was the push i needed to finally get around to reading this book! this was so clearly well-researched but not in a way that distracted from the narrative style of the book. pheby was not a real person, but she was based on the very real mary lumpkin, the enslaved mistress of robert lumpkin, the owner of devil’s half-acre. this book was devastating, but i would recommend it to historical fiction readers who are okay with the content.
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