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.

84 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication 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

[fede ૮ ․ ․ ྀིა · 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.

[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!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This was an interesting biography in verse. The story was intriguing, but I'm not sure if there is enough information for this to be a useful book for research. The illustrations pair nicely with the text.