Twice Enslaved
Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Feb 3, 2026
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- $15.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Here is the story of Henrietta Wood, who was enslaved twice—but who demanded justice and was awarded the largest reparations ever granted for enslavement.
A nonfiction book for ages 9–12 that puts a human face on the current issue of reparations.
Henrietta Wood was born enslaved. As a teen she was ripped from her family and sold. Years later, a miracle happened, and she was given freedom papers. But Henrietta’s freedom was short-lived. She was tricked back into enslavement and sent to a Mississippi cotton plantation.
On June 19, 1865—Juneteenth—she was emancipated. Finally free for good, Henrietta Wood sued the man who had kidnapped her back into enslavement—and she won! Henrietta was one of the few people in United States history to ever receive a reparation payment for slavery.
Twice Enslaved is a true story of cruelty, resilience, and ultimately triumph, told lyrically for middle-grade readers by Selene Castrovilla and illustrated in full color by artist Erin Robinson.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this concise biography rendered via narrative poetry, Castrovilla (Freedom's Cost) centers Henrietta Wood (1818–1912), a Black woman who—following her emancipation, abduction, and re-enslavement—obtained the largest restitution payment ever given to a formerly enslaved person in the United States. The author employs metaphor, repetition, and other literary devices across seven straight-forward, chronological parts ("Stolen," "Hope," "Hopeless") to transport readers to "the Ohio River/ along the line between free and slave." When her enslaver loses his fortune, 14-year-old Wood believes she might finally return to her family, whom she hasn't seen in two years. Instead, she's taken from Louisville "down to where there was no freedom/... to Louisiana," and enslaved once more. Evocative illustrations by Robinson (Ayo's Adventure) capture pivotal moments throughout the subject's life, while rhythmic language describes the physical abuse Wood suffered during her enslavement. Back matter includes additional details about the abduction, Wood's life after receiving reparations, and the significance of Juneteenth. Ages 9–12.
