Banneker: An American Story

What if you were a renowned astronomer, mathematician, engineer, musician, and surveyor with an extraordinary memory? What if you were admired by Benjamin Franklin, needed by President Washington, and resented by Thomas Jefferson? Now, what if you were a free black? How would you navigate through the narrow straights of Colonial America? After the war of Independence, the South is threatening separation from the North regarding one currency. Washington instructs Jefferson to build the nation's capital in the South in exchange for the votes needed to unite the colonies which is a precarious position for Jefferson: he must commission Benjamin Banneker. Libby is a beautiful angel capable of turning into a demon from hell in the blink of an eye. Because she's white, the two have been clandestine lovers since childhood. Libby senses a mulatto life forming inside of her induced by Benjamin which can mean his demise. Meanwhile, he meets Livia, who is a somewhat free slave and strikingly attractive. Their intense love culminates, and chaos ensues. This latest novel from author Bob Stewart is an emotional and stunning drama that will instill the hopes, dreams, and raw human needs of the free black who built the first clock in America; produced the designs for Washington, DC; and went on to publish his own self-computed almanacs.