Although this novel is a rumored autobiography - it is quite refreshing to find further concrete evidence of the cohesion of community, enterprise and "normalcy" that existed among free african-americans in the 18th century - and also the knowledge there were widely-read periodicals, newspapers, books, etc. written and published in the community. Although there is ample evidence of the concerted effort of this country at the time to draw a wall of exclusion over the achievements, successes and lives of black people not bound to the yoke of slavery during the period (it cannot be over-stressed that the price of that wall resulted in a wide-spread ignorance and disdain to this day of the intelligence, productivity and spirit of the black community during the evil and brutality of slavery). It is refreshingly evident by the fact such volumes were written that everyday African-American life was as enterprising and filled with a community that managed to thrive as well as other communities in the country, whose learned theologians, educators, scholars, doctors, lawyers and artisans would not allow the institution of slavery to crush the spirit, but who endeavored and thrived in spite of it.
Although the title character is initially unaware of her true origins - it is evident that "race" has almost nothing to do with the shaping of the human spirit - unless "race" becomes a determining factor in how others reflect the "who" we are back to us and that knowledge fundamentally alters the way we see ourselves. As a first work it is obvious the author, a mixed-race black woman, was attempting to address in her work her own questions regarding the effect of "perceived" race - not only as it shaped her own life - but also in her choice of a main character as well. And because "All the worlds' a stage" - the question became paramount in the lives and circumstances - unnecessarily it turns out - in the roles adopted and "played" by the other characters as well.
Not only is this a unique find but the book has a unique ending as well - it was completed in the 21th century by a group of authors because the original author passed away from tuberculosis before completing the work. An engaging story with a twist.
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