Books like Day of Tears by Julius Lester
Julius Lester tells the story of Emma, a slave who tends to the daughters of her master, Pierce Butler. Facing Pierce’s mounting gambling debts and the necessity to protect his household, the master decides to hold the largest slave auction in American history. Emma, dedicated to teaching both the pro‑slavery and anti‑slavery daughters to have kind hearts, strives to affirm humanity in this brutal environment. Through multiple perspectives—slaves, free blacks, slaveowners, and abolitionists—Lester transforms this little‑known event into a powerful narrative about slavery, the struggle for dignity, and the weather‑laden tragedy that overshadows the proceedings.
First publish date: 2005
Genre: History/Modern History
Authors: Julius Lester
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