Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

by Frederick Douglass

This is one of the three memoirs written by Frederick Douglass, the 19th-century American who escaped slavery and became a leading abolitionist. The book was a bestseller in his lifetime and remains an incredibly moving read. It’s a short book, and if you have a free weekend afternoon, learning firsthand what it was like to be a slave is a rewarding way to spend it.