Edward Ball was raised on stories of his illustrious ancestors, a clan of wealthy, influential Southern planters. But though his white family's history was chronicled in plantation records, letters, and newspapers, Edward wanted to know: What became of the Ball slaves and their descendants? Slaves in the Family is a sweeping, intricately detailed account of one man's quest for a more complete understanding of his ancestors' legacy in a nation built on slavery and his journey to meet the Black Americans whose history is entangled with his.