The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 2: The Testimony
“Every once in a while a book is published that shakes the very foundation about what you believen about an historical figure like Alex Haley's Autobiography of Malcolm X. These books are rare since they must be meticulously research and well-written. The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 2 belongs in this category. This is an extraordinary book because Sharon Ewell Foster has done something which has never been done—unearthed the truth about Nat Turner, rather than rehash and revisit the lies and distortions surrounding one of the most important people in American history. This is a liberating book, both psychologically and historically. Read it, read again and then pass it on to someone who thinks they know who the real Nat Turner is.”
Description
The sequel to The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part I: The Witnesses shows the story of Nat Turner through his own eyes, from growing up a slave through his violent uprising and death.
In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, slave Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other. Leading a small army of fellow slaves in an uprising that left more than fifty whites dead, Turner became a tragic hero and a lightning rod for abolitionists. His rebellion put Virginia in the national spotlight and tore a nation’s trust.
In Part I: The Witnesses, Harriet Beecher Stowe encounters a mysterious runaway slave who recounts stories of people who knew Nat Turner, both friends and enemies. In their words are the truth of the mystery and conspiracy of Turner’s life, death, and confession. Part 2: The Testimony, relates the whole story—from Turner’s early slave years with his Ethiopian-born mother through the uprising, his trial, and hanging—from Nat’s perspective. It’s a story full of greed and betrayal, faith and courage, villains and heroes.
Reviews
“Having been a longtime fan of Sharon Ewell Foster, The Resurrection of Nat Turner still knocked my socks off! To me, her previous works were all leading up to these momentous novels. In all her stories Foster dares to tell the truth, and The Witnesses and The Testimony are no exception. More than that, they dare to expose the comfortable lies we’ve grown accustomed to."
Abraham's Well
"Innovative and intriguing . . . This is the rare historical novel that both entertains and educates."
"This is simply told and moving, Foster's best work since her groundbreaking first novel, Passing by Samaria."