"It's finally time for Charles Ignatius Sancho to tell his story, one that begins on a slave ship in the Atlantic and ends at the very center of London life....A lush and immersive tale of adventure, artistry, romance, and freedom set in eighteenth-century England and based on a true story.

It's 1746 and Georgian London is not a safe place for a young Black man. Charles Ignatius Sancho must dodge slave catchers and worse, and his main ally - a kindly duke who taught him to write - is dying. Sancho is desperate and utterly alone. So how does the same Charles Ignatius Sancho meet the king, write and play highly acclaimed music, become the first Black person to vote in Britain, and lead the fight to end slavery? Through every moment of this rich, exuberant tale, Sancho forges ahead to see how much he can achieve in one short life: "I had little right to live, born on a slave ship where my parents both died. But I survived, and indeed, you might say I did more.""

I've been a fan of Paterson Joseph for years, Numberwang anyone? But I learned about his passion for the life of Charles Ignatius Sancho on an episode of An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates and wanted to know more. Thankfully for those unable to see his play he's now written a book!

Joseph gives Sancho a strong, charming voice. When the blurb compares this work to Bridgerton, it's worth pointing out this comparison applies more to the television series than to the book. London here multi-dimensional and rich, but it never comes across as diversity being shoehorned into a story. As far as Sancho himself is concerned, when primary sources are lacking, authors sometimes seem to hold back their imagination and write cautiously, with so much ambiguity that the individual behind the history doesn't feel real or present. Here Joseph delivers on interpretation and creativity. Maybe we won't know how much is true or false, but we do have someone brought to LIFE, and I appreciate that.