Octavia, the Octoroon

"Octavia, the Octoroon" by J. F. Lee is a historical novel that tells the story of Octavia and her family as they navigate issues of race and identity in the pre-and-post Civil War South. Set in Alabama on Colonel R.'s plantation, the story begins before the war, introducing Octavia as a beautiful mixed-race child born to Elsie, a quadroon. We learn about the plantation through Simon, Elsie's brother, who's in charge of the enslaved people. The dynamics of love and hatred are shown through a prize fight between Elsie's suitors. Octavia's life and the struggles she will contend with in a world that judges her by her race start to take shape as the story moves forward, touching on themes of loyalty and betrayal.