The language of this book is perfect for the setting. I am interested in this family and would like to read more works from this author.

This is a good story and well written. The heroine makes many sacrifices to protect her children.
Tina43

A heart-rending tale of slavery, loss, and perseverance inspired by the real life of Mary Lumpkin, a former slave and wife of one of the most notorious slave prison owners in Richmond, Virginia

As expected, a difficult read due to the nature of the story and time period, but extremely well written and hard to put down. The author wasn't as explicit as I've read in other books detailing the slave trade and that was a blessing. It was still informative and evocative. I did wish for a little more development at the end instead of simply an epistolary epilogue, but it did give the reader a nice wrap-up to several characters and what became of them.

Historical fiction based on the life of Mary Lumpkin, a former slave married to the owner of a Slave Jail. The slave jail was a half acre of land where more than 300,000 slaves were held, bought, beaten and sold from 1844-1865. It was known as the Devil’s Half Acre. The names have been changed in this book and the story follows Pheby (Mary) from her sheltered life on a plantation to her life at the Devil’s Half Acre. There is a lot of ugliness and violence in this book. I never cease to be amazed at how cruel humans can be, but also how strong the human spirit is to survive the cruelty.

From the dark world of American slavery.

Overall, this was an unflinching account of a woman’s determination as she faced her life in slavery. Pheby, the mixed-race daughter of her master, is sent to a jail where she is forced to become the bedmate of the jailer. The man she loved, Essex, managed to escape slavery and when recaptured Pheby is determined to rescue Essex and the son she shares with Essex. While parts of the book seem a tad overdone, the story is a good one.