A study of the first Black female novelist and her life as an enslaved woman, from the biographer who solved the mystery of her identity, with a preface by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Riveting ... An engrossing account of Hecimovich’s efforts to verify Crafts’s authorship of her novel and the startling details he uncovers along the way ... Hecimovich...draws readers close with often riveting passages. He introduces us to Crafts in a dramatic and breathtaking scene ... Hecimovich’s book is filled to the brim with similarly vivid scenes and anecdotes about Craft’s drive to document her story, and his tireless efforts to discover Craft’s identity and reconstruct her trajectory.
Interspersed with photos, descriptions of pertinent historical events, drawings, and digitized archival documents, this excellent biography will appeal to many readers, especially those interested in genealogy, literature, and African American history.
