.Reed, Austin. The Life and the Adventures of a Haunted Convict. Random. Jan. 2016. 352p. ed. by Caleb Smith. illus. notes. ISBN 9780812997095. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780812997101. AUTOBIOG Although written more than 100 years ago, this work is appearing in print for the first time. Reed was a free African American in New York State who spent most of his youth and early adulthood, from the 1830s through the 1860s, in reformatories and prisons. His story was lost and unknown until the manuscript turned up at auction in 2009. This candid and stirring autobiography provides an intimate look at the cruel and violent world of crime and punishment in the 19th century. Reed is honest in his description of the helplessness he felt as an indentured servant and the anger and frustration that led to multiple convictions for larceny and arson. Editor Smith (The Prison and the American Imagination) preserves the character of Reed’s direct but unpolished prose. Smith’s introduction places Reed’s story in context, providing a helpful overview of the penal system in which Reed spent most of his life and describing the process undertaken to authenticate the manuscript when it finally came to light. VERDICT Reed’s unique story is highly recommended to anyone interested in African American history or the history of crime and punishment in the United States.—Nicholas Graham, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill This review was  published in Library Journal‘s  January 2016 issue. Subscribe today and save up to 35 percent off the regular subscription rate.