What Is Liberté? A Revolutionary Tale of Power, Identity, and Survival

At its heart, Liberté is a story about choices—who we are when the world begins to burn, and what we become when forced to choose sides. Set in colonial Saint-Domingue, on the cusp of the Haitian Revolution, Liberté is a sweeping historical drama that interrogates the personal and political in equal measure. It’s about survival, identity, betrayal, and how our decisions—no matter how small—can echo across history.

But Liberté didn't begin as a revolution. It began with a mystery.

The initial spark for Liberté came from an unexpected place: the charming wit and sharp intellect of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency combined with the gender politics of Remington Steele. The idea was to center a woman of color—brilliant, observant, and underestimated—who must rely on a man to pose as the face of her investigations.

Each episode would follow a different case, blending sharp dialogue, social commentary, and suspense in an episodic structure. But as the story evolved—shaped by writing workshops and deeper historical research—it became clear that this format wasn’t enough.

Because Liberté is set in a world that’s anything but lighthearted.

The Haitian Revolution was the first and only successful slave revolt in the Western Hemisphere. It’s a story of unimaginable courage, resilience, and complexity—yet it's too often left untold, or worse, simplified. To use this backdrop as mere scenery for episodic plots felt like a disservice.

As I explored the characters, their relationships, and their histories, the stakes grew.

Liberté transformed from a weekly mystery into a deeply personal journey through a world on fire. I realized I didn’t just want to write about class and intrigue—I wanted to write about revolution. Not just the battles fought in fields, but the quieter ones waged in homes, hearts, and minds.

One of the lesser-known pieces of history that shaped Liberté is the system of placage—formal arrangements where wealthy white men entered relationships with free women of color. These women were not enslaved, but neither were they truly free. Their homes, livelihoods, and reputations depended on the whims of men who owned everything.

This dynamic—of being “almost free,” of performing affection for survival—is embodied in Sabine Beauregard, Liberté’s complex, courageous protagonist.

Sabine doesn’t believe in revolution. She believes in escape. Her plan is simple: leave Saint-Domingue, leave the violence, and carve out a life of her own choosing. But as those around her remind her, you can’t outrun history forever. Revolution is coming—for everyone. And the decision she avoids may one day be made for her.

Liberté explores how people navigate impossible choices. Sabine chooses flight. Marie-Claire chooses resentment. Lucien chooses power. Christophe cloaks control in the guise of love. And others choose silence, betrayal, or bravery.

Each of these decisions ripples outward, across time and generations. Because Liberté is not just about what we do—but what our choices say about where we come from, where we are, and where we are going.

In a world still shaped by the legacies of slavery, colonialism, and resistance, Liberté feels both historical and urgent. It’s about freedom—not just the physical kind, but the emotional, economic, and psychological forms we’re all still fighting to define.

This is not just a story of rebellion. It’s a story about the people who must decide when to rise, when to run, and what they’re willing to risk to be free.