A free man of color cover

A free man of color

by Barbara Hambly

A historical mystery in 1830s New Orleans whose protagonist is a free man of color. Dr. Benjamin January, back in America after 15 years in Paris where he became a surgeon, goes to the help of a woman. In revenge, he is framed by her enemies for murder and must clear his name. A look at the complicated race relations of the period in New Orleans.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?