February Classic of the Month: The Escape or, A Leap for Freedom

Cosimo is celebrating Black History Month this February by highlighting The Escape; or, A Leap for Freedom by William Wells Brown as our Classic of the Month.

The first play published by an African-American, this comic 1858 melodrama about two slaves who secretly marry explores the racial tensions between North and South in the years just before the Civil War. 

With its mix of action, comedy, social commentary and an authenticity only a former slave could recreate, The Escape is essential reading for students of black history and literature. It is also a remarkable glimpse at characters and situations rarely seen from the contemporary black perspective. 

About the Author:

Born into slavery, American author William Wells Brown (1814 - 1884) escaped to the North where he became a prominent abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian. His other works include The Negro in the American Revolution, Clotelle, or A Tale of the Southern States, and The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, and His Achievements. 

The Escape; or, A Leap for Freedom is available on Amazon (hardcover and paperback), at Barnes & Noble (hardcover and paperback), and at your favorite bookstores.