The Devil's Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South's Most Notorious Slave Jail

by Kristen Green

Overview

The inspiring true story of an enslaved woman who liberated an infamous slave jail and transformed it into one of the nation’s first HBCUs 

In The Devil’s Half Acre, New York Times bestselling author Kristen Green draws on years of research to tell the extraordinary and little-known story of young Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who blazed a path of liberation for thousands. She was forced to have the children of a brutal slave trader and live on the premises of his slave jail, known as the “Devil’s Half Acre.” When she inherited the jail after the death of her slaveholder, she transformed it into “God’s Half Acre,” a school where Black men could fulfill their dreams. It still exists today as Virginia Union University, one of America’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  

A sweeping narrative of a life in the margins of the American slave trade, The Devil’s Half Acre brings Mary Lumpkin into the light. This is the story of the resilience of a woman on the path to freedom, her historic contributions, and her enduring legacy. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541675636
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	145,635
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Kristen Green is a reporter and the author of the New York Times bestseller Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County, which received the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Nonfiction and the People’s Choice Award. She has worked as a writer for two decades for newspapers including the Boston Globe, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She holds a master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives with her husband and two daughters in Richmond, Virginia. 

Table of Contents

A Note from the Author ix

Prologue 1

1 Chosen Ones 13

2 "That Which Is Brought Forth Follows the Womb" 39

3 The Thing We Can't Name 63

4 So Well Acquainted 87

5 Anthony Burns and the Fugitive Slave Act 101

6 Leaving the South 123

7 Richmond Families in Philadelphia 147

8 Capital of the Confederacy 169

9 After the War 207

10 "God's Half Acre" 239

Acknowledgments 277

Recommended Reading 281

Notes 283

Index 311

Editorial Reviews

02/28/2022

The unlikely story of how a former “slave jail” in Richmond, Va., became Virginia Union University, an HBCU that “has elevated and nurtured generations of Black men and women” is chronicled in this intriguing if speculative history. Journalist Green (Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County) spotlights Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who inherited the jail property from her owner (and the father of her five children) after the Civil War and rented it out as a school for freedmen. Drawing on census records, Federal Writer’s Project oral histories, and archaeological research, Green fills in the gaps in Lumpkin’s biography with details about the brutal conditions at Lumpkin’s Jail, which held captured runaways as well as men and women about to be shipped to plantations in the Lower South, and the experiences of other enslaved women who were forced to bear their owners’ children. Though frequent passages imagining what Mary Lumpkin “likely” did, or how she “probably” felt, add up to a less than satisfying record of her life, Green packs the narrative with vivid details about 19th-century Richmond, the domestic slave trade, and the history of Black education in America. This is a valiant and thought-provoking attempt to rescue a life lost to history. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Green's research offers readers a moving, insightful picture of the families and friendships of enslaved women, those whose stories have long been erased."
 —Kristen Allen-Vogel, Shelf Awareness

"intriguing....Green packs the narrative with vivid details about 19th century Richmond, the domestic slave trade, and the history of Black education in America. This is a valiant and thought provoking attempt to rescue a life lost to history."—Publishers Weekly

"Rescued from the horror of slavery and the neglect of history, Mary Lumpkin’s life story in The Devil’s Half Acre is one of tenacity, endurance, courage, and achievement."
 —Margot Lee Shetterly, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Hidden Figures

“A remarkable achievement. With precision and care, Green has reconstructed Mary Lumpkin’s life—and so many others—from a historical record that has sought to erase the contributions of Black women at every turn.”—Beth Macy, New York Times–bestselling author of Dopesick

“The Devil's Half Acre tells an essential piece of history that deserves to be read by everyone.”—Nicole Ari Parker, actor, producer, and parent

“This is the kind of reparative history we need. Truly healing work. My own Ancestors endured this terrible place that was almost forgotten. Its story must be told, and here we have a brilliant beginning.”
 —Michael W. Twitty, James Beard Award–winning author of The Cooking Gene

“Harrowing and necessary. In bringing the story of Mary Lumpkin back into the light, Green has provided a powerful service for future generations.”—Anna Malaika Tubbs, author of The Three Mothers

“If we the people of the United States truly believe in forming a more perfect union, the unadulterated reality of systemic racism must be told. The Devil’s Half Acre is an excellent book for readers looking to understand what life was like for enslaved African Americans like Mary Lumpkin, and to understand the impact that white supremacy has had on America as a whole.”—Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, renowned educator, museum professional and diversity and inclusion consultant

“Every Black woman must read the phenomenal book The Devil’s Half Acre. It is our story—a true story, an erased story—of sisterhood and resistance. Mary Lumpkin, who rose from slavery, rape and white supremacy-limited education to lay the foundation of one of America’s first Historically Black Colleges, should be remembered alongside Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks.”—Jodie Patterson, author of The Bold World and Chair of The Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board

“Award-winning journalist Kristen Green's meticulously researched book The Devil’s Half Acre is an extraordinary and unique portrait of the institution of slavery.  Focused on the hidden, compelling life of enslaved Mary Lumpkin, this is a must-read for anyone committed to understanding the still-invisible aspects of slavery. It is also a story of resistance and the enduring legacies of survivor’s contributions and even triumphs.”—Beverly Guy-Sheftall, director of the Women's Research & Resource Center at Spelman College, and co-author of Gender Talk

From the Publisher

09/01/2022

Journalist Green (Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County) brings decades of research into this nonfiction narrative of the life of Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman. Spotlighting the horrors of slavery, the author brings the main focus to John Lumpkin's slave jail in Richmond, commonly known as "the devil's half acre." Thousands of enslaved people were brought there to be bought, sold, punished, and tortured. John Lumpkin raped and impregnated Mary Lumpkin when she was a child, ultimately bearing seven children, five of whom survived. Narrator Deanna Anthony delivers the details—abject horror—in a measured, even tone that lets their full impact settle onto listeners. When John dies, Mary inherits the slave jail and transforms it. Anthony's steady, precise delivery matches Green's attention to detail. VERDICT The listener will feel satisfied with the ending of this story about one of the evilest places in history.—Laura Trombley

Library Journal - Audio