Twice Enslaved: Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood

by Selene Castrovilla, Erin K. Robinson (Illustrator)

Here is the story of Henrietta Wood, who was enslaved twice—but who demanded justice and was awarded the largest reparations ever granted for enslavement.

A nonfiction book for ages 9–12 that puts a human face on the current issue of reparations.

Henrietta Wood was born enslaved. As a teen she was ripped from her family and sold. Years later, a miracle happened, and she was given freedom papers. But Henrietta’s freedom was short-lived. She was tricked back into enslavement and sent to a Mississippi cotton plantation. 

On June 19, 1865—Juneteenth—she was emancipated. Finally free for good, Henrietta Wood sued the man who had kidnapped her back into enslavement—and she won! Henrietta was one of the few people in United States history to ever receive a reparation payment for slavery.

Twice Enslaved is a true story of cruelty, resilience, and ultimately triumph, told lyrically for middle-grade readers by Selene Castrovilla and illustrated in full color by artist Erin Robinson.

Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry, History, Middle Grade

80 pages, Hardcover

Published February 3, 2026

About the author

Hi everyone! I'm a lifelong book lover, and when I was a kid, books saved my life. I was so lonely, but when I held a book and travelled to the place where those characters lived, I was somewhere else, where I had friends. I recently encountered a character like me, Abigail, in TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED by Chelsea Sedoti.
Isn't it exciting to find a piece of yourself in a book?

There's a piece of myself in all of my books, no matter the genre. Yes, I write in several genres, much to the dismay of my editors and, often, to myself. But I love literature, and my muse cannot be confined to one type of story. And no matter the "label", all books have humanity in common. I write about humanity. I want to understand the un-understandable. I want to explore dark thoughts and darker intentions. I want to know why people hurt each other.
And while the rational part of me knows this is impossible, the irrational writer part of me keeps trying, one manuscript at a time.

My goal is to connect with your hearts!

Please visit https://linktr.ee/selenecastrovilla.

Reviews

[Annotations&Air · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously illustrated. The poetic method of telling Henrietta’s story was perfectly suited to the emotions of the history. I could not recommend this more for home and school libraries. Perfect for younger audiences with proper preparation, and suited for middle grade readers. Would be lovely to gift to a school library.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography, which is written in verse, tells the story of Henrietta Wood, a woman born into slavery and liberated twice in her lifetime. Castrovilla’s language conveys not only the physically brutal nature of being enslaved, but how dehumanization is a central aspect of the experience. Readers follow Henrietta as she’s separated from her family for the first time as a child, through her emancipation in early adulthood, and her abduction and re-enslavement after years of freedom —ultimately witnessing her relentless fight to reclaim her liberty once more. Following her second emancipation, Henrietta took legal action against the man who had kidnapped her and sold her back into slavery, ultimately prevailing in court.  This book is a short but impactful overview of both Henrietta’s struggle and her strength in fighting a system that had failed her before.

The book is broken down into parts that coincide with different times in Henrietta’s life. At the start of each new section, there are full-color, dynamic illustrations filled with texture and emotion. The illustrations look painted, with lots of layers. At the back of this book, there are a few sections of additional information that I appreciated, including an afterword about Henrietta’s life after she won her case. The book also includes a “Missing Pieces” section that highlights gaps in the historical record of Henrietta’s life while offering broader context she may never have known—such as the public outcry within her community after her abduction and illegal re-enslavement.  A bibliography and a description of why we celebrate Juneteenth as a federal holiday is also included. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Federica Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC kindly sent by the publisher.
All opinions are my own.

This one comes out on the 3rd of February, 2026.

Twice Enslaved is a short and informative nonfiction about the life of Henrietta Wood, a black woman who had to fight all her life to gain her freedom and be respected as a human being. Before picking this book up, I knew nothing about Henrietta and I was curious to learn her story. The writing was beautiful: mixing verses with nonfiction made the reading experience more engaging. I also liked the illustrations and the overall structure of the book. I think this could be a great middle-grade book for any reader who wants to learn Henrietta’s name and story. It’s a good introduction that leaves you wanting more. Good overall, especially for a younger audience.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a beautifully (!) illustrated short book for youngish kids that tells the story of Henrietta Woods. Based on the afterword, this seems like a life I should have been more familiar with given the significance of the lawsuits she was eventually involved in, so I'm a bit embarrassed that her story is new to me (I think?). Also, you know it's bad news when moving to Indiana is seen as a step-up from your current living situation. Overall, it was an interesting read even though I'm not the target audience.

RB: Timothy's mom (yes, I know that makes me sound like I'm 12 years old, but I can't remember her name for the life of me 😭)

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite a sad story. It tells the story of a young woman who was betrayed several times, resulting in a very hard life. It is told as a series of free-verse poems, each one on half a page. These poems added to the atmosphere of the story, which was written to show the injustice of what was done to Henrietta and how she fought for justice to be served. There is a stylized picture at the beginning of each chapter.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never heard of Henrietta Wood before reading this book and I won't be forgetting her anytime soon! What an incredible story of Henrietta's perseverance in a time when most viewed her as property. I thought the book struck a good balance for it being a children's book - honest and straightforward while easy to understand.

And OH MY WORD the ILLUSTRATIONS are lovely!

Thank you to NetGalley for ARC!

[Jan Milusich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice Enslaved Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood is a powerful nonfiction middle-grade novel in verse. It tells Henrietta Wood's painful story of enslavement as a young girl, separated from her family, her struggle to become a free woman, only to have it stolen from her, and her tenacious pursuit of liberty and reparation.

Henrietta Wood's story will stay with you long after you've closed the cover of the book.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved learning about this story, and I think it's one a lot of young readers will really benefit from reading. I'm not sure about the biography in verse format, it's evocative but I feel like it was a little rushed. I also really loved the illustrations and wanted more of them. Good but not great, in my opinion.

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, subtle writing and gorgeous artwork tell this harrowing, inspiring true story. I did not know that Juneteenth happened in Texas because so many enslavers from the southeast force-marched their enslaved there, thinking the Union army would not make its way to Texas and that their enslaved would never learn of the Emancipation Proclamation.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Henrietta Wood was born in 1820 on the wrong side of the Ohio River.” So begins Twice Enslaved, a middle-grade account of a woman who was born on a Kentucky farm where she could view the Indiana side of the Ohio, where she would have been free. Unfortunately, the foreword to this book reveals everything: Henrietta gaining her freedom, being tricked into slavery yet again, and eventually suing — and winning — a lawsuit against her kidnapper, the largest such reparations ever granted. So why would I read the book?

It was a brilliant — and long overdue — idea. That’s why it’s two stars despite the terrible execution.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Astra Publishing House and Calkins Creek in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel-in-verse biography is beautiful. The poetry is moving. The illustrations have depth. The only flaw I find is that I can't manage this as a read-aloud. Maybe I could turn it into a play? Or a reader's theater?

[Jami Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and educational, this book tells the story of Henrietta Wood. This would be a good addition to any library.

[Ashley Spilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel in verse!!!! Beautiful illustrations!!

[Kylaslittlelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in verse, this is an insightful middle grade read. The audio really brought it to life.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by the publisher

History is filled with injustices perpetrated against Black citizens of the US, and Henrietta Wood is just one example of the horrific treatment that enslaved people experienced. Born about 1820 (records were not always kept) in Kentucky, and was sold to a Louisville businessman, and then sold again to the Cirode family. When they moved to Cincinnati, they registered Wood as a free woman, and she did domestic work in the city. Wood was kidnapped in 1853 by the Cirode's daughter, and taken to Kentucky. After a failed lawsuit to try to obtain her freedom, she was sold again and taken to Mississippi. After the Civil War, she returned to Ohio with her son, and in 1870, sued the sheriff who kidnapped her. She was eventually awarded $2,500, the largest amount of reparations ever awarded for slavery reparations. She used this money to send her son to law school, and her descendents went out to a wide array of professional careers.

While it is important to tell stories of enslaved people, I was glad to see that this concentrated on Wood's struggles to gain justice and her eventual success. It's important for young readers to know the horrible situations of the past, but to also realize that Black people strove for agency and worked against the system that oppressed them.

This biography in verse brings to life the fear and anger that motivated Wood to search for justice. The illustration between chapters are rendered digitally, but have an ethereal, collage feel to them. This short book could be shelved in the poetry section of the library, but has enough information to also belong in a nonfiction collection.

The research for this could not have been easy, but was helped by interviews in the newspaper, but some of the holes in Wood's story were filled in from other news accounts. There is a nice bibliography, as well as a page about Juneteenth.

Hubbard and Holyfield's Hammering for Freedom, Lester and Brown's From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, Cline-Ransome and Ransome's Before She Was Harriet, and Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad.