A biographical novel about a man who was brought over to the United States as a slave in 1725. He worked as a slave for nearly 40 years until he managed to purchase his freedom. As a free man he became a prominent citizen and philanthropist.

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This book tells the story of this remarkable man. We learn a lot about him but also interestingly - we learn a lot about his society. What was life in the U.S.A like in the 18th century for slaves and freed slaves? How were slaves freed? How did white Americans view slavery? How well did freed slaves manage to integrate into their communities?

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This story is written in a personal direct way. It will bring the readers mind to several meaningful questions about society as well. Furthermore, we learn something about how welfare for the poor was organised in Amos’ time. We learn about how towns organised ‘poor relief’ and about the practice of auctioning the poor.

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By the end of the book you will want to know more about this intriguing man in history. Amos came to America as a slave and embraced the ideals of the his new christian society, practicing them even more authentically than the ‘natives’ did. He made the best of the circumstances of his life and made himself invaluable to his community.

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I don’t know how correct it is as a biography, but it certainly is well written and it presents a truthful impression of very interesting time and place. I do not know how much of Amos’ character and thoughts are captured in this attempt - but at least the reader will hear Elizabeth Yates (a white American of the 1900’s) impression of how a ‘perfect’ black slave could have intergraded and gained respect in the U.S

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