**Possibly the first novel written by a black woman slave, this work is
both a historically important literary event and a gripping
autobiographical story in its own right.
**When her master is betrothed to a woman who conceals a tragic secret,
Hannah Crafts, a young slave on a wealthy North Carolina plantation,
runs away in a bid for her freedom up North. Pursued by slave hunters,
imprisoned by a mysterious and cruel captor, held by sympathetic
strangers, and forced to serve a demanding new mistress, she finally
makes her way to freedom in New Jersey. Her compelling story provides a
fascinating view of American life in the mid-1800s and the literary
conventions of the time. Written in the 1850's by a runaway slave, THE
BONDSWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a provocative literary landmark and a
significant historical event that will captivate a diverse audience.