"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
The year is 1855. Blackface minstrelsy is the most popular form of entertainment in a nation about to be torn apart by the battle over slavery. Henry Sims, a fugitive slave and a brilliant musician, has escaped to Philadelphia, where he lives by his wits and earns money performing on the street. He is befriended by James Douglass--leader of the Virginia Harmonists, a minstrel troupe struggling to compete with dozens of similar ensembles--who senses that Henry's skill and magnetism could restore his show's sagging fortunes.
The problem is that black performers are not allowed to appear onstage, even in Philadelphia. Together the two concoct a dangerous masquerade to protect Henry's identity, and he creates a sensation in his first appearances with the Harmonists. Yet even as the troupe's fortunes begin to improve, a brutal slave hunter named Tull Burton has been employed by Henry's former master to track down the runaway and retrieve him, dead or alive.
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Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780062284136
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Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. A Free State 0.3. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9780062284136
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The year is 1855. Blackface minstrelsy is the most popular form of entertainment in a nation about to be torn apart by the battle over slavery. Henry Sims, a fugitive slave and a brilliant musician, has escaped to Philadelphia, where he lives by his wits and earns money performing on the street. He is befriended by James Douglassleader of the Virginia Harmonists, a minstrel troupe struggling to compete with dozens of similar ensembleswho senses that Henrys skill and magnetism could restore his shows sagging fortunes.The problem is that black performers are not allowed to appear onstage, even in Philadelphia. Together the two concoct a dangerous masquerade to protect Henrys identity, and he creates a sensation in his first appearances with the Harmonists. Yet even as the troupes fortunes begin to improve, a brutal slave hunter named Tull Burton has been employed by Henrys former master to track down the runaway and retrieve him, dead or alive.A Free State is both a riveting chase novel and a searing parable of liberty and its costs. Charged with narrative tension and unforgettable characters, A Free State is a thrilling work by a novelist at the height of his powers. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780062284136
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780062284136
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # IB-9780062284136