Oroonoko

When Prince Oroonoko's passion for the virtuous Imoinda arouses the jealousy of his grandfather, the lovers are cast into slavery and transported from Africa to the colony of Surinam. Oroonoko's noble bearing soon wins the respect of his English captors, but his struggle for freedom brings about his destruction.

One of the most influential English novels in history, Aphra Behn's Oroonoko was the first book to express sympathy for African slaves. Based partly on Behn's childhood in Suriname, Oroonoko depicts the love of Prince Oroonoko, the grandson of an African king, for Imoinda, the daughter of the king's top general. She refuses to leave Oroonoko to become the king's wife, and dies in his arms. Renowned for the respect and tenderness Behn gave each of her characters, this is the best-remembered work by the author.