Phillis Wheatley

With Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, Phillis Wheatley became the first English-speaking person of African descent to publish a book and only the second woman—of any race or background— to do so in America. Vincent Carretta offers the first full-length biography of a figure whose origins and later life have remained shadowy despite her iconic status. A scholar with extensive knowledge of transatlantic literature and history, Carretta uncovers new details about Wheatley's origins, her upbringing, and how she gained freedom.