Uncle Tom's Cabin - Stowe

More 19th century literature but this one was much more enjoyable to read. It's written in almost allegorical style and it's written for sheer persuasion. President Lincoln referred to it as a cause of the Civil War. It's hard to overstate its importance.
The book details a household of slaves. They start with a very good and caring owner who has fallen into debt. To discharge that debt he agrees to sell a pair of slaves, one of which is a young boy. The boy's mother can't bear the thought of being split up so she runs away with him, up north to freedom.
Meanwhile the other slave, Uncle Tom, is sold and eventually sold again to Simon Legree. Uncle Tom refuses to whip a fellow slave and is savagely beaten. His faith in God wavers but a deathbed vision renews that faith.
This book is an argument and it hammers that argument home. Stowe especially argues that slavery is destroying black families. She argues that slaves are people with their own dignity and deserve to be treated that way. The most noble character in the book is Uncle Tom and he's clearly a positive force.
It's clearly an important book and a great one in theme if not as captivating in writing as others. A true American classic.