The Resurrection of Nat Turner

As we slide towards financial disaster on August 2, I have my eyes on another event that day -- the publication of Sharon Ewell Foster's novel about the Nat Turner rebellion.

Here is the description from Simon and Schuster's website:

The truth has been buried more than one hundred years . . .

Leading a small army of slaves, Nat Turner was a man born with a mission: to set the captives free. When words failed, he ignited an uprising that left over fifty whites dead. In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand, brandishing a sword in the other. His rebellion shined a national spotlight on slavery and the state of Virginia and divided a nation's trust. Turner himself became a lightning rod for abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and a terror and secret shame for slave owners.

 In The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses, Nat Turner's story is revealed through the eyes and minds of slaves and masters, friends and foes. In their words is the truth of the mystery and conspiracy of Nat Turner's life, death, and confession.

The Resurrection of Nat Turner spans more than sixty years, sweeping from the majestic highlands of Ethiopia to the towns of Cross Keys and Jerusalem in Southampton County. Using extensive research, Sharon Ewell Foster breaks hallowed ground in this epic novel, revealing long-buried secrets about this tragic hero.

For those who want an early look, here's a link to a youtube video that has the introduction to the novel.

I am mightily interested in Nat Turner -- he sets in motion University, Court, and Slave and the Virginia legislature's debate about slavery in1 832, which results in William and Mary Thomas R. Dew's pamphlet.  So I'm most excited to see this new interpretation of the origins of Turner.  Long-time readers of the faculty lounge may recall my discussion of my August 2009 visit to Southampton, where the rebellion took place.

Update as of July 28: It's not even August 2 and already books.google has a preview available.

Update as of July 18, 2013: my paper on "The Nat Turner Trials" is up on ssrn.

Comments

[Stanice Anderson]

Hello Dr. Brophy, I am one of the publicists for Sharon Ewell Foster, the novel's author. I'm happy to have come across your blog post. About a month ago, I also visited The Faculty Lounge read and shared with others the discussion of your visit to Southampton.

Here is a link to recent interview with Ms. Foster about Part One: The Witnesses. www.youtube.com/watchv=DEbk1PDqPpE

History, as we know it, is about to change. In Sharon Ewell Foster's own words, “This is an American story and the truth needs to be told.”

She is preparing a national book tour (The Truth Tour) presented in a discussion format that will incorporate local leaders and educators, like yourself, as moderators.

If you'd like to review the book and/or be sent a press release, email me, Stanice at Anderson Tucker Dot Com. Again, thank you.

[Alfred Brophy]

Hi Stanice if I may (and you should call me Al -- everyone else does),

I'm having trouble pulling up that youtube interview. If you'll email that to me, I'll link to it in the post.

Can't wait for the book -- I'm most excited to see in particular how Sharon Ewell Foster deals with Turner's relationship to abolitionists. A question that I often ask people when I'm talking about Turner is how much he was influenced by abolitionist literature, like David Walker's Appeal, versus an innate sense of freedom.

[Neta Jackson]

I too would like to see the YouTube interview but the link did not work for me, either. Please send it to DaveNeta at DaveNeta dot com. Having read ALL of Sharon Ewell Foster's other novels, I am eagerly awaiting this new 2-book novel about Nat Turner. What a writer!