S.J. Higbee's Reviews > Sold Down the River

This whole series is extremely good, but for me - this book stands out. Benjamin is more or less forced to take on the job of trying to discover who is trying to kill his childhood nemesis, Simon Fouchet, with the knowledge that if the murderer succeeds, then probably all the slaves on the plantation will be put to death. This involves going undercover as a slave and working alongside the field hands cutting the sugar can.

The story is a searing indictment of what slavery meant - and what it did to those who endured it. And how it twisted those who were able to carry out their cruelest acts without any restraint. I loved that we got to know a lot more about Benjamin's past and the depth of research Hambly went into to ensure this vivid, savage world leapt to life. The passage about his father had me weeping. A wonderful book, full of drama that gave us the best and worst of what humans do to each other.
10/10