The Slave Dancer

Written by Paula Fox

A boy is kidnapped to play music on a slave ship, witnessing unimaginable horrors.

3.7 Goodreads · 10,650 ratings

192 pages· 40,176 words· Est. 3.5 hour read· 910L

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Bookroo's summary

Thirteen-year-old Jessie is kidnapped from New Orleans and forced onto a slave ship, where his music compels shackled slaves to exercise. As the voyage unfolds, Jessie is horrified by the greed and brutality surrounding him. But nothing prepares him for the ultimate horror that awaits, a moment that will forever alter his life. Amidst the relentless cruelty of the slave trade, Jessie must confront the depths of human inhumanity and find a way to survive. Will he escape this nightmare, or will the darkness consume him? Discover the chilling reality of a world where freedom is a distant dream.

From the publisher

One day, thirteen-year-old jessie Bollier is earning pennies playing his fife on the docks of New Orleans; the next, he is kidnapped and thrown aboard a slave ship, where his job is to provide music while shackled slaves “dance” to keep their muscles strong and their bodies profitable. As the endless voyage continues, Jessie grows increasingly sickened by the greed, brutality, and inhumanity of the slave trade, but nothing prepares him for the ultimate horror he will witness before his nightmare ends – a horror that will change his life forever.