Clotel

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century America, the narrative explores the life of Clotel, the daughter of Thomas Jefferson and a slave, as she navigates the brutal realities of slavery and the quest for freedom. Following her auction and subsequent sale, Clotel's journey leads her to disguise herself as a white man to rescue her daughter from her father's estate. This compelling tale critiques the contradictions of a nation built on democracy while establishing itself as a crucial work in African American literature, highlighting the complexities of race and human relationships.