Synopses & Reviews
The daughter of a wealthy Mississippi planter, Iola Leroy led a life of comfort and privilege, never guessing at her mixed-race ancestry until her father died and a treacherous relative sold her into slavery. This stirring tale of life during the Civil War and Reconstruction traces a young woman's struggles and triumphs on the path to self-discovery. Confronted with the truth of her origins, Iola Leroy rejects the secrecy and shame inherent to a life of passing as white. Instead, she devotes herself to the improvement of black society in this compelling exploration of race, politics, and class.
The New York Times noted that this 1892 work was "probably the bestselling novel by an African-American before the twentieth century." It bears the additional distinction of being among the first novels published by an African-American woman. Author Frances E. W. Harper, a popular lecturer and poet, was a leader in the suffrage and temperance movements and a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women. In Iola Leroy, she advocates female self-sufficiency and independence within the context of a gripping work of historical fiction.
Synopsis
This 1892 work was among the first novels published by an African-American woman. Its striking portrait of life during the Civil War and Reconstruction recounts a mixed-race woman's devotion to uplifting the black community.
Synopsis
This 1892 work was among the first novels published by an African-American woman. Its striking portrait of life during the Civil War and Reconstruction recounts a mixed-race woman's devotion to uplifting the black community.
Synopsis
A striking portrait of black life during the Civil War and Reconstruction, this 1892 work was among the first novels published by an African-American woman. It explores issues of race, politics, and class in the tale of a mixed-race woman who rejects a life of "passing" and devotes herself to the improvement of black society.
Table of Contents
I. Mystery of Market Speech and Prayer-MeetingII. Contraband of WarIII. Uncle Daniel's StoryIV. Arrival of the Union ArmyV. The Release of Iola LeroyVI. Robert Johnson's Promotion and ReligionVII. Tom Anderson's DeathVIII. The Mystified DoctorIX Eugene Leroy and Alfred LorraineX. Shadows in the HomeXI. The Plague and the LawXII. School-Girl NotionsXIII. A Rejected SuitorXIV. Harry LeroyXV. Robert and His CompanyXVI. After the BattleXVII. Flames in the School-RoomXVIII. Searching for Lost OnesXIX. Striking ContrastsXX. A RevelationXXI. A Home for MotherXXII. Further Lifting of the VeilXXIII. Delightful ReunionsXXIV. Northern ExperienceXXV. An Old FriendXXVI. Open QuestionsXXVII Diverging PathsXXVIII. Dr. Latrobe's MistakeXXIX. Visitors from the SouthXXX. Friends in CouncilXXXI. Dawning AffectionsXXXII. Wooing and WeddingXXXIII. ConclusionNOTE