{"product_id":"2940149416684","title":"Twice a Slave","description":"From master storyteller, Randy Willis, a novel about adventure, family, faith and the character of a man that touched generations. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Birth of  Twice a Slave \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAs a child Randy Willis lived on Barber Creek (the location of many of his stories) between Longleaf and Forest Hill, Louisiana.  As a teenager, he worked  cows with his family, near Forest Hill, on the open range, owned by lumber companies. Seven generations of his family have lived there, beginning in 1828 with his 4th Great-Grandfather Joseph Willis.  Randy would often ride his horse through his family's neighboring property, which was once William Prince Ford's Wallfield Plantation, not realizing the significance of his ancestor's connection to Solomon Northup and William Prince Ford. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter writing the biography The Apostle to the Opelousas, Randy Willis got the idea for the novel and the play Twice a Slave from his friend and fellow historian Dr. Sue Eakin.   She contacted him after reading an article that mentioned he had obtained the Spring Hill Baptist Church's minutes. The minutes had much information on two of its founders: Joseph Willis and William Prince Ford.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFord had bought the slave Solomon Northup on June 23, 1841, in New Orleans. He immediately brought him to his Wallfield Plantation. Just 46 days later, on August 8, 1841, Joseph Willis and William Prince Ford founded Spring Hill Baptist Church.  Ford's slaves attended the church with him, which was the custom in pre-Civil War Louisiana.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe plantation was located on Hurricane Creek, a fourth-mile east of present-day Forest Hill, Louisiana. It was located on the crest of a hill, on the Texas Road that ran along side a ridge. Northup called this area, in his book Twelve Years a Slave, \"The Great Piney Woods.\"    \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFord was also the headmaster of Spring Creek Academy located near his plantation and Spring Hill Baptist Church. It was there, in 1841, that Joseph Willis would live and entrust his diary to his protégé William Prince Ford, according to historian W.E. Paxton (A History of the Baptist of Louisiana, from the Earliest Times to the Present, 1888).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFord was not a Baptist preacher when he purchased Solomon Northup and the slave Eliza, a.k.a. Dradey, in 1841, as many books, articles, blogs, and the movie 12 Years a Slave have portrayed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first part of the Spring Hill Baptist Church minutes are written in Ford's own handwriting since he was the church's first secretary and also the first church clerk. The minutes reveal that on July 7, 1842, Ford was elected deacon. On December 11, 1842, Ford became the church 's  treasurer, too.  It was during the winter of 1842 that Ford sold a 60% share of Northup to John M. Tibeats. Ford's remaining 40% was later conveyed to Edwin Epps, on April 9, 1843.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIt was not until February 10, 1844, that Ford was ordained as a Baptist preacher.  A year later, on April 12, 1845, Ford was excommunicated for \"communing with the Campbellite Church at Cheneyville.\"  But, Ford's later writings reveal that he remained close friends with his neighbor and mentor Joseph Willis.   \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDr. Eakin asked Randy Willis if he would help her with her research on William Prince Ford.  He also lectured in her history classes, at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, on the subject.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eDr. Eakin wrote Randy Willis on March 7, 1984, \"We had a wonderful experience dramatizing Northup and I think there could be a musical play on Joseph Willis. It seems to me it gets the message across far more quickly than routine written material.\" She added, \"A fictional novel based upon Joseph Willis's life would be more interesting to the general public than a biography and would reach a greater audience.\"  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eDr. Eakin is best known for documenting, annotating, and reviving interest in Solomon Northup's 1853 book Twelve Years a Slave. She, at the age of eighteen, rediscovered along-forgotten copy of Solomon Northup's book, on the shelves of a bookstore, near the LSU campus, in Baton Rouge. The bookstore owner sold it to her for only 25 cents. In 2013, 12 Years a Slave won the Academy Award for Best Picture.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIn his acceptance speech for the honor, director Steve McQueen thanked Dr. Eakin: \"I'd like to thank this amazing historian, Sue Eakin, whose life, she gave her life's work to preserving Solomon's book.\" \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eJames \"Jim \" Bowie was a neighbor of Joseph Willis when they both lived near Bayou Chicot, Louisiana.  Jim's brother, Rezin Bowie, was a neighbor to Joseph's eldest son Agerton Willis and eldest grandson, Daniel Hubbard Willis Sr. for four years (1824-1827) in the village of Bayou Boeuf. The name changed to Holmesville, in 1834, and is located near present-day Eola.  It was at Holmesville, on Bayou Boeuf, that Edwin Epps enslaved (1845-1853) Solomon Northup for the last eight years of his twelve year indenture.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003ethreewindsblowing.com","brand":"American Writers Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47111939555568,"sku":"2940149416684","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940149416684_p0.jpg?v=1763717594","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940149416684","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}