{"product_id":"a-free-state-9780062284136","title":"A Free State","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe author of \u003cem\u003eCity of Refuge\u003c\/em\u003e returns with a startling and powerful novel of race, violence, and identity set on the eve of the Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe year is 1855. Blackface minstrelsy is the most popular form of entertainment in a nation about to be torn apart by the battle over slavery. Henry Sims, a fugitive slave and a brilliant musician, has escaped to Philadelphia, where he earns money living by his wits and performing on the street. He is befriended by James Douglass, leader of a popular minstrel troupe struggling to compete with dozens of similar ensembles, who imagines that Henry's skill and magnetism might restore his troupe's sagging fortunes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe problem is that black and white performers are not allowed to appear together onstage. Together, the two concoct a masquerade to protect Henry's identity, and Henry creates a sensation in his first appearances with the troupe. Yet even as their plan begins to reverse the troupe's decline, a brutal slave hunter named Tull Burton has been employed by Henry's former master to track down the runaway and retrieve him, by any means necessary.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBursting with narrative tension and unforgettable characters, shot through with unexpected turns and insight, \u003cem\u003eA Free State\u003c\/em\u003e is a thrilling reimagining of the American story by a novelist at the height of his powers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harper Perennial\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/13\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780062284136\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.70d","brand":"Tom Piazza","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42924804997301,"sku":"9780062284136","price":13.59,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_a27837e8-2369-4373-810c-62bc0786a96b.jpg?v=1687838595","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/a-free-state-9780062284136","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}