A Plausible Man: The True Story of the Escaped Slave Who Inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin

by Susanna Ashton

The remarkable life story of the man behind the book that helped spark the Civil War, in a stunning historical detective story

In December of 1850, a faculty wife in Brunswick, Maine, named Harriet Beecher Stowe hid a fugitive slave in her house. While John Andrew Jackson stayed for only one night, he made a lasting drawing from this experience, Stowe began to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin , one of the most influential books in American history and the novel that helped inspire the overthrow of slavery in the United States. A Plausible Man unfolds as a historical detective story, as Susanna Ashton combs obscure records for evidence of Jackson’s remarkable flight from slavery to freedom, his quest to liberate his enslaved family, and his emergence as an international advocate for abolition. This fresh and original work takes us through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the restoration of white supremacy—where we last glimpse Jackson losing his freedom again on a Southern chain gang. And in a riveting encounter, Ashton meets Jackson’s descendants in South Carolina and they are introduced to his epic biography for the first time. In the spirit of Tiya Miles’s prizewinning All That She Carried and Erica Armstrong Dunbar’s Never Caught , Susanna Ashton breathes life into a striving and nuanced American character, one unmistakably rooted in the vast sweep of nineteenth-century America.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

Published August 6, 2024

Reviews

[Ted Haussman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who provided the spark for Harriett Beecher Stowe to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin? This book answers that question, which, surprisingly, is not a very well known fact. I applaud the author for digging deep in a pretty paltry record and making some revealing deductive conclusions. The first half of the biography I found to be intensely fascinating. The second half was less so, perhaps because the subject became a little less endearing.

Still, a pretty remarkable work after so many years.

[Mr. Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my new blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.

Thank you The New Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. No review was required in return for an advance reading copy and no review was promised.

Mr. Book just finished A Plausible Man: The True Story of the Escaped Slave Who Inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Susanna Ashton.

Last winter, I was watching an episode of The Jeffersons, in which Louise’s uncle was explaining to Lionel, about Josiah Henson, who was the attributed to be the inspiration for Uncle Tom’s Cabin. That got me interested in Henson’s life and I read several books on him. So, when I saw the title of this one, I was intrigued.

But, then I saw in the description that it was about a man named John Andrew Jackson. So that peaked my curiosity even more. Who is this Jackson, how does he relate to Henson’s story. I didn’t remember that name being mentioned in my readings about Henson. Could there have been two different men who both inspired the story? Would this other book even mention Henson or it would just pursue Jackson’s story, just like the books on Henson didn’t mention Jackson?

It turns out there was a simple explanation for that mystery. Stowe acknowledged that they had used a lot of Henson’s experiences, from his autobiography, for the character of Uncle Tom. But, it is uncertain whether she ever met him or, if they met, what the extent of things were. Meanwhile, Jackson was an escaped slave who spent a single night in Stowe’s home and, in that time, made a very big impression on her. Stowe did confirm meeting Jackson.

So, it appears that both men have claims to be an inspiration for the book, instead of just a sole inspirator.

Unfortunately, figuring out the answer to the mystery was the most interesting aspect to this book. The book just wasn’t interesting enough. So, I must just give this one a C. Amazon, Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, a C equates to 2 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews. It will also be posted at Amazon, as soon as the book is released to the public on August 6.

Mr. Book originally finished reading this on June 2, 2024.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A historical bio

My Review: A Plausible Man: The True Story of the Escaped Slave Who Inspired Uncle Tom's Cabin by Susanna Ashton is a non-fiction read based on the life of John Andrew Jackson.

About the Book: "A Plausible Man unfolds as a historical detective story, as Susanna Ashton combs obscure records for evidence of Jackson’s remarkable flight from slavery to freedom, his quest to liberate his enslaved family, and his emergence as an international advocate for abolition. This fresh and original work takes us through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the restoration of white supremacy—where we last glimpse Jackson losing his freedom again on a Southern chain gang."

My Final Say: I have long since been intrigued with understanding the story behind Stowe's novel. When I became aware of this work, I knew I had to read it. It proved to be an interesting book. I liked that it provided detailed considerations, reference material, and photographic images of researched content. I think that the heartbreaking account of this man's life experience was sadly familiar.

Other: While I did not walk away with some grand, new sense of knowledge, I can say that I was fascinated by the writing.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: G
Status/Level: 👍

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (The New Press), and to NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title.

[Mary Kesson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that the research that the author has done on her subject is nothing short of amazing. One look at the cover art of both John Andrew Jackson’s book and this retelling of his life, and you know there’s a man of action behind that drawing and that his story is worth your time. I liked the way that each chapter was focused on an important historical document – that framing really worked. The use of images throughout the book instead of within an insert was also very helpful.

In the later chapters as the documentation of Jackson’s life has more gaps, it seemed that the attempts to fill in the blanks became a little repetitive. Of course, speculation is required, but I would have preferred less of it. There were also some points in the book when I wondered if the language being used would stand the test of time. Speaking of someone’s “truth” and “voice” is very on trend these days but isn’t something I often run across in nonfiction books.

Finally, my rating reflects the fact that the book is of course limited by what can be known about Jackson’s life. It’s important to acknowledge why that is so, but I couldn’t ignore it when considering whether others would want to read this work. That might be a little harsh, so if you’re interested in the topic, don’t let me dissuade you.

Minor note - there's a typo on page 14 - says 1874, s/b 1847.

[Carol Dimitriou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of an escaped slave whose overnight stay with Harriet Beecher Stowe inspired her to write "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The author spent twelve years researching the life of John Andrew Jackson, which led to the publication of this book.