Realistically this story is deserving of more than one star, but I didn't want to give the implication that I liked it. Ignoring the fact that a lot of this may never have happened, as is covered in the forward, but his story is so atypical that there are far better texts for studying the slave experience. This strikes me as more of an adventure story than it does the study of the life of a slave. You couldn't even call it an anti-slavery book, since he doesn't lead any kind of revolution. He's a faithful slave, speaks highly of his masters, and bought his own freedom, through the system, merely re-enforcing it. It's not a bad book by any means, but given the context that I had to read it in (history class), i felt it a less than favorable experience.