«deeply researched and inspiring book...Rivers does an excellent job of analyzing and describing the very complicated and sometimes contradictory behavior of Father James Page.
—Said Sewell, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education»

«As the first scholarly, full-length biography of any 19th century enslaved preacher from slavery to freedom Rivers' impeccably written biography is an impressive undertaking that required years of archival digging and a careful examination of the limited primary sources available[it] models the practice of vivifying overlooked historical figures.
—Mélena Laudig, Princeton University, Reading Religion»

«Dr. Rivers has written a very brave book, because it refuses to accept stereotypes no matter their origin.
—The Tallahassee Democrat»

«This is a remarkable book, deeply researched, gracefully written, and revealing many astonishing facts about the trials of a slave and how he coped with racial attitudes and prejudices.
—Loren Schweninger, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Canadian Journal of History»

«Because the past informs the present, Rivers illuminates the path of Father James Page's climb to freedom as a framework for measuring our own lives and the progress of Florida and America toward achieving racial justice and equality. 
—Valerie Scoon, Florida State University, Capital Outlook»

«[Rivers] rightly argues that the emphasis on slaveholders' paternalism in studies of bondpeople often over-determines how scholars narrate the activities of the enslaved. Instead, he invites scholars to ask questions about Black agency—specifically how enslaved preachers like Page reasoned and made choices that ultimately shaped Black, southern, and American religious cultures.
—Alexis Wells-Oghoghomeh , Standford University, Journal of Southern History»