Super Short Summary

Iola Leroy, or, Shadows Uplifted (1892) by Frances Harper tells the story of Iola Leroy, a mixed-race woman born free but kidnapped into slavery. She navigates the Civil War and Reconstruction, ultimately rejecting the chance to "pass" as white. Instead, she embraces her African heritage, reunites with her family, and becomes an advocate for civil rights in a narrative shifting across multiple perspectives and timeframes. Topics of sexual harassment and abuse are present.