After his resounding defeat at the Battle of Yorktown, British general Charles Cornwallis made a point of touring the American camp, looking for the reason behind his loss. What he didn't expect to see was James, a runaway slave who had served as a guide to the British army. Or at least that's what Cornwallis was led to believe. In fact, James wasn't actually an escaped slave—he was a spy for the American army.

But while America celebrated its newfound freedom, James returned to slavery in Virginia. His service as a spy hadn't qualified him for the release he'd been hoping for. For James the fight wasn't over; his next adversary was the Virginia General Assembly. He'd already helped his country gain its freedom; now it was time to win his own.

From the dust jacket