A review by jrmarr
Clotel: Or, the President's Daughter by William Wells Brown

3.0

This book came as a surprise to me. I enjoyed it (as much as one can enjoy a tale of slavery) and the fact that it was first written around 1853 makes it a unique insight into the institution at the time. It is not a traditional narrative, but rather follows the various stories of the protagonists interspersed with reflections on the history and philosophy of slavery in the United States. Its demonstration of the cruelty of the institution of slavery is chilling - ownership could change on the whim of the owner, the jealousy of his wife, of even the financial circumstances they found themselves in.