Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom

Woo (The Great Divorce) presents the story of William and Ellen Craft’s extraordinary journey out of enslavement into freedom. The couple began their road to self-emancipation in Macon, GA. Ellen’s light skin color enabled her to pose as a wealthy white male painter accompanied by a servant, William. The couple traveled north on steamboats, stagecoaches, and railroads, buttressed by their undying love. Upon reaching freedom, they began sharing their story on the abolitionist lecture circuit. When the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 made their situation too dangerous, the Crafts escaped to Canada and eventually to England. Narrators Janina Edwards and Leon Nixon bring out the suspense in this thrilling story, while movingly describing the couple’s enduring love and commitment. Their dramatic reading enhances Woo’s meticulously crafted work, which draws upon rare historical sources, supplemented by the Crafts’ 1860 book, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom. The author wisely recommends further scholarly research and analysis to fill in the gaps in the Crafts’ original memoir, which mainly focuses only on their escape experiences and not their entire lives.