Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 As a child, Mary may not have realized that she was enslaved, as white and Black children were often allowed to play together. But as she grew up, she would be given jobs to do, and by the time she was ten years old, she was doing the same work as grown women. #2 Slavery in Virginia was similar to that in other states, in that it was common for enslaved people to be separated from their families. It was also common for enslaved people to be sold away from both their parents, or their parents away from each other. #3 The sale of children to erase a debt was common and necessary for enslavers who borrowed money using enslaved people as security. A small child could serve as a pledge on a deed of trust for a small loan. #4 Richmond was a boomtown in the 1780s, and was home to many slave jails. The slave trade was the state's most profitable industry, and Richmond was alive with activity.