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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
Graphic slavery violence: beatings, torture, sexual violence, and murder throughout
Language
Some
Period language; some strong words
Sexual Content
A lot
Sexual coercion and rape as part of the enslaved experience; depicted clearly but not gratuitously
Substance Use
None
No substance use of note
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Dehumanization, impossible moral choices forced on enslaved women, survival guilt
What this book is about
Pheby Delores Brown is the enslaved daughter of a Virginia plantation owner who promises her freedom. When her master dies without freeing her, she's sold to Rubin Lapier — the most feared slave trader in Richmond, Virginia, known as the devil. To survive, Pheby must navigate impossible choices: loyalty to herself versus the people she can protect, survival versus resistance. Sadeqa Johnson's unflinching novel is based on a little-known piece of American history.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
graphic violence of slavery throughout
sexual violence including rape
profound psychological weight
Reader Verification
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