Master Slave Husband Wife

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHYA New York Times bestseller, the incredible true story of a couple that escaped slavery in the South and eventually made their way to the UK, Africa and beyond

The remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as “his” slave

In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in history

Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North

Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and even friends of their enslavers, who might have revealed their true identities

The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities, and generated headlines around the country

Audiences could not get enough of this charismatic young couple, who travelled the country drawing thunderous applause as they spoke alongside some of the greatest abolitionists of the day

But even then, they were not out of danger

With the passage of an infamous new Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, all Americans became accountable for returning refugees like the Crafts to slavery

Then yet another adventure began, as the Crafts fled to England to embark upon a new life

With three epic journeys compressed into one monumental bid for freedom, Master Slave Husband Wife recounts both a ground-breaking quest for liberty and justice, and an unforgettable love story.