Burn Down Master's House

Review Quotes: Praise for Burn Down Master's House

"A bold and unflinching novel, Burn Down Master's House reclaims the lost voices of American slavery and fearlessly confronts myths that whitewash history. A powerful fiction debut that demands to be read." --Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

"To refill my well of radical hope, I read resistance stories. Whether from history or from historical imagination. Burn Down Master's House is a resistance story for the ages. Clay Cane's gripping novel is based on real stories of enslaved women and men, of their audacious struggle against slavery." --Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning

"With shades of Kindred, James, and The Prophets, this story belongs to a long tradition of resistance that traces back to 1526, when enslaved Africans burned down their captors' settlement in what is now South Carolina. Cane -- a naturally gifted storyteller -- weaves a brutal, bold narrative." --Keith Boykin, New York Times bestselling author of Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race?

" In Burn Down Master's House, Clay Cane brings to life all of the pain and complexities of the institution of bondage. This book forces you to examine power through unexpected lenses. It is brilliant and masterful. As we reclaim our momentum of memory, stories like these must be thrown into our future narratives." --Karen Hunter, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

"In a time when truths are actively being erased from history, Clay Cane vividly delivers stories ripped from its pages, reminding us of things we are being told to forget. Meticulously researched and powerfully written, Burn Down Master's House reminds us of what cannot be forgotten and fills us with the resilience necessary to continue fighting for a brighter future." --Markus Redmond, actor, screenwriter, and acclaimed author of Blood Slaves

Biographical Note: Clay Cane is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist, radio host, and political analyst. More than 3 million listeners tune into The Clay Cane Show on SiriusXM each week, his commentary is heard on television networks such as ABC, MSNBC, FOX and CNN, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, CNN.com, and BET. He is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Grift: The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult, Live Through This, and Burn Down Master's House. A graduate of Rutgers University, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.A. in English and African American Studies, he lives outside of New York City and can be found online at clay-cane.com.

Publisher Marketing: Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, and Percival Everett, from Clay Cane, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Grift.

As turmoil simmers within a divided nation, smoke from another blaze begins to rise. Sparked by individual acts of resistance among those enslaved across the American South, their seemingly disparate rebellions fuel a singular inferno of justice, connecting them in ways quiet at times, explosive at others. As these flames rise, so will they.

Luke, quick-witted and literate, and Henri, a man with a strong and defiant spirit, forge an unbreakable bond at a Virginia plantation called Magnolia Row. Both seek escape from unimaginable cruelty. And sure as the fires of hell, Luke and Henri will leave their mark, sparking resistance among the lives they touch...

One is Josephine, a young, sharp, and observant girl who wields silence as her greatest weapon. A witness to Luke and Henri's resilience, she listens, watches, waits for the moment to make her move.

Then there is Charity Butler, her husband a formerly enslaved man who proved his ferocity as a young boy standing alongside Josephine. At his encouragement, Charity fights for her freedom in court and wins - only to battle a deeply unjust system designed to destroy the life they've built.

And finally, there is Nathaniel, who ruthlessly exploits other Black people and mirrors the cruelty of the white men who, like him, are enslavers. A perversion of the system of slavery, his fragile and contradictory rule will become a catalyst of its own.

Inspired by the true stories of the profoundly courageous men and women who dared to fight back, Burn Down Master's House is a singular tour de force of a novel--breathtaking in scope, compassion, and a timeliness that speaks powerfully to our present era.