This book is part history, part memoir, and part detective story. Author Margo Lee Williams traces the remarkable journey of her ancestor, Miles Lassiter, a free African-American Quaker living in North Carolina before the Civil War. Through genealogical records, dusty courthouse files, and oral histories, she reconstructs the life of a man whose quiet defiance of the times stands as a beacon of dignity and faith. The narrative also follows her own search for identity and belonging, from vague family memories to a rediscovered home in the Carolina countryside. It’s as much about the process of finding history as it is about the man himself, a story of persistence, connection, and the hidden layers of American life.

I was struck by the warmth of Williams’s writing. She doesn’t just present facts; she brings people to life. The scenes of her research trips, pouring over records, meeting cousins she never knew she had, walking the land her ancestors once farmed, made me feel like I was there beside her. Her tone is tender but firm, respectful yet real. There’s a sense of wonder in her words, the kind of awe that comes from holding pieces of the past in your hands. At times, her attention to genealogical detail can slow the pace, but that same care is what makes the story believable and human. I admired her honesty when she admitted confusion or surprise. It reminded me that history isn’t neat, it’s messy, layered, and full of contradictions.

As someone who loves history, this book hit me deep. It’s rare to find a work that balances emotion with scholarship so gracefully. The story of Miles, a Black Quaker in the antebellum South, is extraordinary. His life defied the boundaries of race, religion, and law. Williams’s discovery that her ancestor was both enslaved and later a respected Quaker moved me profoundly. It challenged what I thought I knew about early African-American history. There were moments I had to pause, just to take in the weight of it all, the perseverance, the quiet resistance, the unspoken courage.

Miles Lassiter is a love letter to ancestors who endured, to forgotten stories waiting to be told, and to the act of remembering itself. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves history that feels personal and alive, to readers who crave stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things without fanfare. It’s perfect for genealogists, students of African-American history, or anyone who has ever wondered where they came from.

Pages: 150 | ASIN : B0064FITWQ