In a world where truth is often buried beneath time and silence, Dickie Erman digs deep — not to fictionalize the past, but to reimagine it with clarity, honesty, and emotional power.
Born in Detroit and now living in California, Dickie’s journey didn’t begin at the writer’s desk. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Dickie pursued a law career dedicated to representing the elderly and disadvantaged. But the haunting legacy of slavery — its brutality, contradictions, and psychological scars — took hold of Dickie’s spirit. It became not just a point of interest, but an obsession, and ultimately, a calling.
“The hypocrisy and incomprehensible system of slavery, and the plantations that benefitted, became something of a story that needed to be told.”
📚 Writing America’s Shadowed History
Dickie Erman’s novels aren’t sanitized tales of history. They’re raw, cinematic, character-driven journeys set against one of the darkest backdrops in America’s past — slavery in the 1800s South. And yet, even within the cruelty, readers will find moments of hope, resilience, love, and rebellion.
Her breakout work, Antebellum Struggles, introduces readers to Amana, a field slave brought into a mansion where jealousy, suspicion, and secrecy twist behind closed doors. Alongside Amana, we meet Tabari — whose desperate escape triggers a cat-and-mouse chase through lawless lands — and a scalawag doctor who profits from everyone’s suffering.
The trilogy continues with Keeper of Slaves and Slaves of Fools, expanding the world through deeper narratives tied to the Underground Railroad, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the personal conflicts of both enslaved and free characters trying to survive a collapsing society.
🔍 Historical Fiction with a Relentless Emotional Core
Dickie’s novels stand out not only for their detailed historical grounding, but for the depth of humanity Dickie breathes into every scene. Her characters feel real — flawed, courageous, trapped, and deeply relatable.
Whether it’s Rachael — the spy at the heart of A Spy’s Eyes, who infiltrates Washington D.C. to serve the Confederacy — or Venus, sold from one plantation to another in Venus’ Story — each narrative challenges readers to feel the pain, confusion, love, and decisions of those who had no easy path.
These stories are not merely fictional reimaginings — they are emotional reconstructions of buried lives.
✨ Real Praise from Real Readers
Critics and readers alike have celebrated Dickie’s work for its cinematic descriptions, emotional power, and authentic portrayal of the African American experience.
“An intelligently crafted work of historical fiction deeply rooted in cold hard facts, with innovative uses of description and narrative to bring a heartfelt tale to life.” — Readers’ Favorite on The Adventures of Sunny Washington
“An engaging, dramatic tale filled with realistic and well-developed characters… deeply grounded in facts, vivid imagery, and evocative dialogue.” — Readers’ Favorite on Book Two
🕯 Why It Matters
Dickie Erman doesn’t write to entertain. Dickie writes to remember. To restore. And to give voice to those who lived through a time when their humanity was denied, their stories unwritten.
Her books don’t ask readers to escape history — they ask us to step into it, feel it, and emerge changed.
Explore Dickie Erman’s collection today and discover why her work continues to resonate with readers seeking truth, empathy, and powerful storytelling.
