The stunning travails of Kitty Payne, an actual Virginia slave who was freed and then kidnapped by her master's nefarious nephew, come to life in this suspenseful and affecting novel from Ford (The Walls of Jericho). Following the death of her master (who fathered her with another slave), Kitty believes her life and the lives of her three children are in jeopardy, because she thinks that without the master's protection, his wife might sell her and her children and break up her family. After a botched escape attempt, rather than punish her, Mary Maddox, wife of the deceased master, confesses her husband's deathbed wish to set Kitty and her children free and helps to make that happen: she hides Kitty and her family in a carriage and takes them to the free state of Pennsylvania through the Underground Railroad. Despite the unfortunate use of stereotypical dialect and an unnecessary preface that reveals much of the plot, the climax of the book is a riveting 1846 court case-the first in history in which a slave brings a lawsuit against a white man. Using actual transcripts, Ford does an excellent job portraying the warring factions of the time: those in the South who wanted to preserve their way of life, and those who felt slavery was unjust. The author adeptly depicts a little-known slice of American legal history. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

On a Virginia plantation, 20 years before the start of the Civil War, Samuel Maddox makes a death-bed request of his wife, Mary: emancipate Kitty, a slave on their plantation and his biological daughter. Mary, who has been unable to bear Samuel's children, resents Kitty and initially resists. Kitty fears that Mary will sell her and her three children off just as she did Kitty's mother, so she decides to flee. She doesn't get far and is dragged back. Mary realizes that bitterness has clouded her view of Kitty, and she must set her free. But Samuel's nephew, Samuel, who is deeply in debt, enters the scene and sees the death of his uncle as a means to extricate himself. Left out of the will, he seeks legal counsel to stop Mary from disposing of property. Mary sees that if Samuel gains control, he will sell off the plantation's most valuable assets, including Kitty and her offspring. Acting quickly Mary, Kitty, and the children make their way to the free state of Pennsylvania via the Underground Railroad. Thinking them safe, Mary returns home, but Samuel is relentless. VERDICT Based upon real events, journalist Ford's latest (after The Walls of Jericho) takes readers on a heart-stopping physical, emotional, and legal journey.-Susan Santa, Shelter Rock P.L., Albertson, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.