{"product_id":"9780062284143","title":"A Free State","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe author of \u003cem\u003eCity of Refuge\u003c\/em\u003e returns with a startling and powerful novel of race, violence, and identity set on the eve of the Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe year is 1855. Blackface minstrelsy is the most popular form of entertainment in a nation about to be torn apart by the battle over slavery. Henry Sims, a fugitive slave and a brilliant musician, has escaped to Philadelphia, where he earns money living by his wits and performing on the street. He is befriended by James Douglass, leader of a popular minstrel troupe struggling to compete with dozens of similar ensembles, who imagines that Henry’s skill and magnetism might restore his troupe’s sagging fortunes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe problem is that black and white performers are not allowed to appear together onstage. Together, the two concoct a masquerade to protect Henry’s identity, and Henry creates a sensation in his first appearances with the troupe. Yet even as their plan begins to reverse the troupe’s decline, a brutal slave hunter named Tull Burton has been employed by Henry’s former master to track down the runaway and retrieve him, by any means necessary.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBursting with narrative tension and unforgettable characters, shot through with unexpected turns and insight, \u003cem\u003eA Free State\u003c\/em\u003e is a thrilling reimagining of the American story by a novelist at the height of his powers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tom Piazza","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46905560563861,"sku":"9780062284143","price":12.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780062284143.jpg?v=1776889886","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780062284143","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}