The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts; The True Story of The Bondwoman's Narrative

The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts – A Prize-Winning Biography

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography

A groundbreaking exploration of Hannah Crafts, the first known Black female novelist, and her extraordinary journey from enslavement to literary significance—written by the biographer who uncovered her identity. Featuring a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

In 1857, an enslaved woman fled a North Carolina plantation, seeking refuge on a New York farm. During her time in hiding, she penned a manuscript that would bring her posthumous fame: The Bondwoman’s Narrative. When the novel was first published in 2002, its authorship remained a mystery—until over a decade later, Professor Gregg Hecimovich identified its writer as Hannah Bond “Crafts.”

Crafts was not only the first Black woman known to write a novel but also a remarkable literary talent who defied a system designed to erase her humanity. After her escape, she adopted the name Hannah Crafts, forging a new identity through storytelling. Hecimovich pieces together her life by examining the experiences of those around her, particularly five enslaved women whose stories helped shape her novel, reclaiming voices that history nearly lost.

A compelling blend of literary mystery, cultural history, and biography, The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts unearths a powerful story of resilience, friendship, betrayal, and survival against the backdrop of a divided America on the brink of Civil War.