Iola Leroy
by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
- First published
- 1892
- Reading level
- Easy
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Iola Leroy; Or, Shadows Uplifted" by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper is a novel published in 1892. One of the first novels by an African-American woman, it tells the story of Iola Leroy, a young woman raised in privilege who discovers her hidden African ancestry and is suddenly enslaved. Set during the Civil War and Reconstruction, the novel follows Iola's journey through freedom, her work as a nurse, and her choices about identity, love, and social responsibility in a divided nation.
- African Americans
- African American women
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #12352. Iola Leroy on Wikipedia.
