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12 Years a Slave

by Solomon Northup

Narrator Richard Allen

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Length 8 hours 49 minutes

Language English

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Summary
About the author
About the narrator

12 Years a Slave is the harrowing account of a black man, born free in New York State, who was drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery in 1841. Having no way to contact his family, and fearing for his life if he told the truth, Solomon Northup was sold from plantation to plantation in Louisiana, toiling under cruel masters for twelve years before meeting Samuel Bass, a Canadian who finally put him in touch with his family, and helped start the process to regain his freedom. This extraordinary text is the basis for the major motion picture starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Biography & Memoir History Nonfiction Social Science

Solomon Northup was a free-born African American man from New York who gained recognition after being kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South. He managed to get word to his family, and was freed and brought back home. He sued the slave traders, but under District of Columbia law, he could not testify against white men, and he lost. He became very active in the abolitionist cause, and aided on the Underground Railroad.

Richard Allen is a five-time Audie-nominated narrator whose work has been acknowledged on the Best Audiobooks Lists for Audiofile and Library Journal. He was named an AudioFile Best Voice in 2008 and has won four AudioFile Earphones Awards. His audiobooks include From Midnight to Dawn, Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney, Futureland, and Right as Rain.