Book
A Respectable Trade
First published 1995
Bristol, 1787. Merchant Josiah Cole marries the well-connected Frances Scott to improve his standing and finance his entry into the trade in enslaved Africans. Frances is expected to teach a group of captives enough English to increase their sale value.
Her relationship with Mehuru, a Yoruba priest taken from West Africa, forces her to confront the violence supporting her household and city. The novel follows merchants, captives and abolitionists through an economy that treats slavery as ordinary and respectable commerce.
Historical Periods
Genres
More from this period
5 more top-rated novels about Georgian Era
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More from this period
5 more top-rated novels about Georgian Empire and Atlantic World
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More by the author
Other books by Philippa Gregory
Discover more
Authors similar to Philippa Gregory
Recommended from shared genres and periods.
Alison Weir
35 books
C. F. Dunn
9 books
David Field
46 books
Paul Doherty
88 books
Tracy Chevalier
9 books