The First of Midnight

by Marjorie Darke

The year is 1797 and in Bristol a slave called Midnight works as a bare-knuckle boxer. Midnight can't see any way in which he will ever be able to shake off the chains of slavery. However, he feels some hope when he meets the orphan Jess, whose existence is almost as bleak as his and love enters his life. Midnight realises he can play a part in liberating his people from the scourge of the trade in human cargo. A wonderfully exciting, moving and uplifting book, being re-printed to celebrate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Rosalind Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 1977 and now, unfortunately out of print, this is a very fine romantic historical novel written for young adults. It is set in late 18th century Bristol and tells the story of the relationship and developing love affair between Jess, a teenage pauper and orphan, and Midnight, a freed African slave. Marjorie Darke pulls no punches in her depiction of the abuse of African slaves amongst the 18th century population of Bristol, and of women; neither does she waste any time delicately manoeuvring around the abusive vocabulary of the time. She tells it how it was, and she shines a very bright and unforgiving light upon it all. But the book is beautifully written – finely and sensitively balanced between showing some of the worst and best sides of humanity, with a bit of everything in between - and vividly told, with a nice smattering of the vocabulary of the time, and a totally readable and believable use of 18th century common and local dialogue which is so effectively managed that it does not feel in the slightest archaic or mannered but only adds to the vivacity of the whole. I think this is a brilliant book, a real tour de force. It is a great story, wonderfully presented, and a history and humanities lesson all rolled into one. I wish it was still in print and easily available.

[Beauty Angel]

i love it