I was surprised by how slim this volume was, but it's not the full story of Douglass's life. He describes very little of his actual escape from slavery in order to shield those who may have helped him and to keep slaveowners from knowing possible escape routes. The book stops just as Douglass is beginning to work in the anti-slavery movement. Apparently, Douglass wrote two additional autobiographies (I found this by doing a little online research.)
Douglass is an excellent writer, all the more impressive because he had to teach himself to read and write over a process of several years. He had a well-deserved reputation for eloquence
Here's his description of how slavery corrupted the wife of one of his masters:
When I went there, she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamb-like disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.
I'd love to read more about his work with women's movement.
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