Author: Laurie halse Anderson
Publisher:Bloomsbury Children's book
Pages:320
Price: Rs 645
ISBN:747598011
Genre: Historic fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Library
Summary
Isabel yearns for freedom, while she thinks that her wish is almost fulfilled, her owner Mary Finch dies with no proof for her promised freedom, her nephew inheriting her properties and estate sells Isabel and Ruth to to Locktons a ruthless couple in New york, From Rhode Island to New York Isabel and her sister's state of misery saw no improvement...Everyday is the story ..All that Isabel wants is her freedom, and she wants that at any cost, but how far will she go is the story of chains in a nutshell..
Review
Set in 1776, days are finding way to Revolutionary war, between the Rebels ( colonists ) and loyalist.... Slaves are used by both sides to sabotage each others plans..In New York befriends a slave named Curzon , he is a member of patriot , he tries to lure her into become a spy, and her classified information from her owner ..She is shocked to know the route for her freedom is all twisted...
In spite being a slave and treated badly by her master, Isabel is unable to be disloyal to her owner..It takes a lot of reflection, and a greater worsening situation at the hands of Locktons, trigger her to makes the final go...She evasdropes into Mr.Lockton's meeting and learns about the assasination plot against George Washington, she collects evidence and handover them to Curzon, that eventually force Mr. Lockton and many others to flee...But unfortunately Isabel had to part with Ruth , after Mrs Lockton finds about Ruth's fits ..She is sold and send away to Charleston... England takes over New York taking in many loyalists and patriots as prisoners, Curzon is one among them... Isabel hides him at Locktons' getting him food and shelter..Finding an appropriate time she does manage to escape taking Curzon along with her in a boat..The novel ends with Isabel believing to be dead, upon realizing being alive she sets on to find Ruth, but what happends to her is left unsaid, nor if she is able to retain her freedom..
Oppressed Isabel's stands out with a free spirit, her frustrations, her agony, her misery clicked with me..At no time things overdone, yet the message comes out clearly...
Though the book addressed to children , it can be enjoyed by adults alike...Every chapter opens up with an advertisement, excerpts of letters from Washington,quotes from Thomas Paine's common sense....Anderson portrays ethnic rigidity,ripping open the hidden state of slaves and their misery, though this is not the first book that deals on this subject,I felt a freshness in the writing that kept me captivated to it... Reading is fast paced, the going gets smoothly with each chapter and unveiling emotions...A good read for historic fiction...
Revolutionary War Era America is probably my biggest interest. The contradictions and hypocrisies involved with people who were fighting for liberty while simultaneously holding slaves were enormous. This was a huge issue!
ReplyDeletet is good to know that folks are writing what sounds like worthwhile children's books about this era and subject.
I had no worst favorite part of the book. Every part was amazing. If you didn't really understand the civil war, you shouldn't read this book...because this book has a lot of things that involve the civil war.
ReplyDeleteStill an awesome book.