An 1800 insurrection planned by a literate slave known as "Prosser�� Gabriel" inspires a historical novel following one extraordinary man�� life.
In a time of post-Revolutionary fervor in Richmond, Virginia, an imposing twenty-four-year-old slave named Gabriel, known for his courage and intellect, plotted a rebellion involving thousands
of African- American freedom seekers armed with refashioned pitchforks and other implements of Gabriel�� blacksmith trade. The revolt would be thwarted by a confluence of fierce weather and
human betrayal, but Gabriel retained his dignity to the end. History knows little of Gabriel�� early life. But here, author Gigi Amateau imagines a childhood shaped by a mother�� devotion, a
father�� passion for liberation, and a friendship with a white master�� son who later proved cowardly and cruel. She gives vibrant life to Gabriel�� love for his wife-to-be, Nanny, a slave
woman whose freedom he worked tirelessly, and futilely, to buy. Interwoven with original documents, this poignant, illuminating novel gives a personal face to a remarkable moment in history.
