What is the story of A Free Man of Color?
An epic retelling of the story of the Louisiana Purchase and how it affected the people of New Orleans at the dawn on the 19th century, A Free Man of Color centers on Jacques Cornet, the son of a wealthy Caucasian father and a mother who was his slave. This title character has increased his father’s fortune and set himself up as a dandified Don Juan, living high with the help of his own wisecracking slave, Murmur, much to the dismay of his Caucasian half-brother, who has been disinherited. Surrounding this storyline are historical characters including President Thomas Jefferson and his aide, Meriwether Lewis; Napoleon and Josephine; and the Haitian leader Toussaint L’Ouverture, who petitions the American government for help fighting the French. Can Jacques survive a change in power in the hedonistic city he loves?