In the tradition of Wrench and Twelve Years a Slave, this harrowing yet utterly unputdownable story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Brown was promised her freedom on her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes around, instead of the idyllic life she was hoping for with her true love, she finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil's Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured, and sold every day.

Forced to become the mistress of the brutal man who owns the jail, Pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice to protect her heart in this powerful, gripping and heartbreaking story of one slave's fight for freedom.

A completely transfixing page-turner about love in the face of darkness, hope in a world of hate, and the heart-wrenching price of survival. Perfect for fans of The Help and The Forest of Vanishing Stars.

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