The Homesteader (AmazonClassics Edition)

By: Oscar Micheaux

Narrated by: Arnell Powell

In this autobiographical novel, writer and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux draws from his own experiences as a Black homesteader to grapple with questions of race, love, and undaunted ambition. His alter ego is Jean Baptiste, a man who, embodying the pioneer spirit, is able to turn his Dakota homestead into a profitable success. Jean Baptiste’s love life, however, is not so easily settled. He initially dreams of marrying Agnes Stewart after she rescues him from a storm, but complications with Agnes - combined with loneliness on the farm - ultimately lead him into an acrimonious marriage with a preacher’s daughter. With that decision made, his future seems set in stone. But for an enterprising man like Jean, anything is possible...

Though Micheaux’s impact as a groundbreaking filmmaker is now well acknowledged, his career as a novelist is far less well known - and The Homesteader provides a thrilling introduction.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Homesteader, this edition of The Homesteader (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Public Domain (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Excellent

I love it. The narrative was very specific and clear. Wonderful book. Good one from Oscar M.