More Than a Great Summer Read: Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Book review posted by Chef Druck on June 12, 2012
My
kids studied Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War this year, learning
about slavery and the different economies of the South and the North
that almost tore the US apart 150 years ago. The concept that one human
being could own another was so strange to them that they struggled to
understand it, still vaguely skeptical that the history they were
reading was not complete fiction.
Great
historical fiction makes that history come alive, helps us understand
those different times. My daughter read the Dear America, a Slave Girl
diary novel and I read Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr. Two different books with similar themes that let us have rich, topical discussions on slavery and the Civil War.
Leonard
Pitts, Jr.'s new novel, FREEMAN, takes the reader into the complete
chaos of a true revolutionary period: the end of the Civil War. The
story takes place in the months after the Confederate surrender when the
end of slavery enabled African Americans to set off to reunite with
spouses and children that had been sold to different owners. The
narrative alternates between two main characters: a former slave named
Sam Freeman and a courageous abolitionist named Prudence Kent.
Sam
Freeman leaves his job in a Philadelphia library and travels on foot to
Mississippi to find the wife he last saw fifteen years ago. As he
journeys South, he encounters formerly wealthy plantation owners who are
armed, bitter and in denial of new laws. Prudence Kent also travels
South as soon as the war ends, but not to find a loved one. She goes to
Buford, Mississippi to open a school for former slaves, and ignites a
powder keg of resentment among the local whites.
I
found FREEMAN to be a thrilling read which made this tumultuous time
period come to life, better than any summer movie blockbuster. The
characters were richly painted and the way Sam Freeman's voice switched
to hide his education depending on whether his audience was hostile
Southerners was absolutely terrifying. Thanks to this amazing novel, I
now have a much better appreciation for the post Civil War era. This
would be an amazing book club selection as it is rich in topics for
discussion.
Connect with Leonard Pitts Jr. Online
