This is a fictionalized version of the slave revolt that led to the independence of Haiti. There‘s a lot to say about this book because it covers EVERYTHING, from Toya‘s life in Benin as a soldier to her enslavement in America. She is the founding general‘s aunt who teaches him how to fight while they were both still slaves. Simultaneously we read the story of his wife, Marie-Claire, a free mulatto who suffers for being a black black instead Of a light-skinned black. It covers the revolts, the switching of sides between France and Spain, relations with the brand new American government, and the sometimes help of the British. It even covers the French Revolution and Napoleon‘s first defeat before Waterloo; he lost Haiti! It can get dense at some points. But it is an extraordinary read & I learned so much I never knew. I‘m so glad I picked this book for Haiti even though it was long! ( )