The Devil's Half Acre

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

By: Kristen Green

Narrated by: Deanna Anthony

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

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 best-selling 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Kristen Green (P)2022 Seal Press

Critic reviews

"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, number one New York Times best-selling 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 best-selling 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)

Tells many stories

I’m a living historian and reading this book connects so many dots of so many people and places. So good I had to buy the print copy to use as a reference. Thank you

Preachy

Well researched. Weak thread associated with the title. Would have been stronger if the story would have been permitted to tell itself.

The authors ability to keep me interested in a nonfiction book, while tracing the life of the beautiful, mixed race woman.

This book offered an interesting picture of history from slavery to present. It was written to include important parts of American History. It truly showed America at its best and America at its worst.

Informative and compelling

This book was so very interesting. I never before imagined how it might have felt to be the mother of children forced upon me by my own enslaver. The author took us to that place. Our nation needs to know this history and needs to pay homage to those who built this land. It’s not about shame, guilt and blame. We need to honor, respect and remember the lives of all the enslaved ancestors who paid for our nation’s prosperity with their blood, trauma and work.

Outstanding!

A new perspective on the role of enslaved persons in American history. Not to be missed!

Uncovered gem

Really eye opening, and informative story, it did a stellar job of breaking down the day to day, and illustrating the stakes of what Mary Lumpkin went through to survive it all.

A must read.

Lots of history

Narrator is amazing telling this historical story of slavery and the largest shave jail in Richmond

Needs an edit

Although trying to tell a story that hasn’t been told the repetitiveness of her narrative, which I think she used to stress viewpoints that haven’t been spelled out in the past, detracted greatly. I do not think it is at all difficult for any woman to realize that a female slave being forced by her owner would feel anything different than any woman being forced by a man who holds power over her. The fact that Mary Lumpkin used whatever influence she had over Robert to educate and free her children was impressive but all the conjecture as to how she did it took away from her story. I realize this is always a problem when dealing with historical figures who did not have a voice but all the conjecture seemed as poor way to make her points.

Interesting, but not the story billed

This book was billed as a story of an amazing woman who turned the jail where she had been held into a school. That is a complete misrepresentation. It is instead a history of Richmond slave traders and the slaves they bore children with, along with lots of general history about the slave trade, the sexual abuse of slaves, the Revolutionary War, and struggles of Black people up to this day. And the current efforts to turn the jail site into a museum. Some nuggets about Mary Lumpkin we're obtained and presented, but little about her is actually known. The author's favorite word was 'perhaps' because what Mary did and why are almost entirely educated guesses. And she didn't start the school - she rented the facility out to the school founders. Perhaps because she cared, perhaps she needed the money. No one knows.

Anyway, I learned some things. The author clearly put. lot of effort into her research. But the description of the book is deceptive. I thought maybe I'd misread it, but I went back and checked - it does not describe this book at all and leads you to believe you are purchasing a really cool story about an awesome lady. But this book is a history lesson that includes some info about Mary's life, and ends with a plug for the museum the author hopes will be built.

I got this book on a good sale, but if I'd paid full price I'd be pretty annoyed right now.

Greatful for this read.

Really loved this piece. I wish I'd known about Mary Lumpkin sooner and everyone that was placed in connection to what she'd endured as both an enslaved and freed Black woman. Very informative and well articulated. 👏