Homesteader (AmazonClassics Edition), The

In this autobiographical novel, writer and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux draws from his own experiences as a Black homesteader to grapple with questions of race, love, and undaunted ambition. His alter ego is Jean Baptiste, a man who, embodying the pioneer spirit, is able to turn his Dakota homestead into a profitable success. Jean Baptiste’s love life, however, is not so easily settled. He initially dreams of marrying Agnes Stewart after she rescues him from a storm, but complications with Agnes—combined with loneliness on the farm—ultimately lead him into an acrimonious marriage with a preacher’s daughter. With that decision made, his future seems set in stone. But for an enterprising man like Jean, anything is possible…

Though Micheaux’s impact as a groundbreaking filmmaker is now well acknowledged, his career as a novelist is far less well known—and The Homesteader provides a thrilling introduction.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Homesteader, this edition of The Homesteader (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.