Andrews, W: To Tell a Free Story The First Century of Afro-American Autobiography, 1760-1865

"To Tell a Free Story imaginatively combines literary criticism, anthropological theory, and history to provide a detailed, nuanced, and persuasive reading of Afro-American autobiography from its origins in the eighteenth century through emancipation."--Julius S. Scott, Journal of Southern History
"This book is superb in so many ways that I really don't know where to begin my praises. It will be the book-of-the-year in Afro-American literary studies."--Robert B. Stepto, author of From Behind the Veil: A Study of Afro-American Narrative
"Andrews treats early Afro-American autobiography in greater detail, with more theoretical acumen, and with a finer literary tact, sensitivity, and intelligence than any other single critic. It is a first-rate work which, among a host of other virtues, is distinguished by it's stylistic clarity and grace."--James Olney, author of Metaphors of the Self: The Meaning of Autobiography