The President's Daughter
ByPublisher Description
Born into slavery, Clotel is a white-passing woman who conceals her identity and uses a disguise to infiltrate a plantation to rescue her loved ones. It’s a story of survival that’s deeply rooted in the cruelest part of American history.
Clotel and Althesa are the illegitimate daughters of Thomas Jefferson and a slave woman named Currer. Despite their father’s elite status, the girls are sold into slavery but attempt to use their fair complexions to their advantage. Clotel takes it a step further, dressing as a white man to emancipate her daughter who was sold against her will.
Clotel; or, The President's Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States is an American tragedy that explores generational trauma. William Wells Brown, who’s considered the first African American novelist, uses his personal experience to illustrate the horrors of bondage. It’s a heartbreaking tale that tests the undeniable power of the human spirit.
With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Clotel; or, The President's Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States is both modern and readable.
Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.
With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
Download the free Fable app

Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesNo Reviews
About William Wells Brown
William Wells Brown (1814–1884) was a career abolitionist who escaped slavery before the age of 20. As a young man, Brown worked on a steamboat, while learning how to read and write. He joined several anti-slavery groups and began helping other African Americans seeking asylum. Brown went on to lecture and write several books detailing the horrors of slavery. In 1847, he published Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, a memoir detailing his own harrowing account. This was followed by 1853’s Clotel, which is often considered the first African American novel.
Other books by William Wells Brown
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?