Cary Hite and Sisi Aisha Johnson create an astonishing number of distinct characters in this historical fiction based on true stories of escaped enslaved people. Hite voices 12-year-old Homer, who escapes from the Southerland plantation with his younger sister, Ada. He conveys their childish naïveté and wonder when they are rescued and brought to Freewater, a secret community of escaped enslaved people who live hidden deep in a swamp. Hite is just as convincing as the plantation overseer who is hunting for the pair. In alternating chapters, Johnson is engaging as she voices Homer’s friend, Anna, at the plantation; the headstrong, freeborn Sanzi in Freewater, and various members of the plantation owner’s family. Working together, the two narrators bring the historical setting vividly to life. S.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Newbery Medal © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

★ 02/28/2022

Based on the real-life Great Dismal Swamp, where enslaved people sought refuge from plantation life, Luqman-Dawson’s engrossing historical fiction novel follows enslaved Black siblings 12-year-old Homer and seven-year-old Ada after their escape from Southerland Plantation and its white overseer. An encounter with plantation raider Suleman results in the children being taken to swamp haven Freewater, a lush forest peopled with individuals who escaped slavery and who keep watch for possible invaders. Making her children’s debut, Luqman-Dawson populates the town with richly rendered characters, including Freewater-born Juna, who has never seen a white person, and her sister Sanzi, a tough but unseasoned fighter who looks up to Suleman and wants to do her part to help the people of Freewater. When the town’s inhabitants undertake a liberation effort, the characters must build courage and overcome their fears in this vividly written, wholly accessible novel of enslavement and resistance. Back matter includes an author’s note describing the true history behind Freewater. Ages 8–12. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Jr. (Feb.)

In Freewater, Amina Luqman Dawson shines a bright light on a little-known piece of history. Set against a forbidding landscape, the bright promise of freedom is illuminated in all its myriad shapes and forms. And it couldn’t be more timely. Solidly researched and beautifully written, this is storytelling at its finest. Dawson’s voice and the voices of her cast will linger long after the last page is closed.”—Kathi Appelt, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor Winner

"A compelling, gripping story told in an imaginative and lyrical way, Freewater is a moving, powerful homage to the men, women, and children who rejected slavery and dared invent a free life in the American wilderness."—Dr. Sylviane A. Diouf, author of Slavery's Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons

"What a gorgeously told, thrilling, and deeply empowering story. Amina brings to life so vividly this important but overlooked chapter in history, in a way that all readers can relate to — and through the eyes of young characters so compelling you'll miss them when you put the book down. Not that you'll want to put it down, even for a second."—Meena Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“With both stirring emotion and apparently effortless skill, Dawson braids the many compelling strands of this story into a stunning conclusion. A remarkable accomplishment—a sheer triumph of a book.”—Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner and New York Times bestselling author

"This is detailed and well-researched historical fiction. The characters are varied, complex, and fully realized. . . .The page-turning action will engage readers as the story reaches a satisfying conclusion. An exceptional addition to the resistance stories of enslaved people."—Kirkus, starred review

"Skillfully drawing memorable characters and moving them towards an exciting, heartfelt resolution, Luqman-Dawson does not shy away from the realities of slavery. This lyrical story of hope, strength, and ingenuity will be gobbled up by young history buffs and adventure lovers. Direct your Christopher Paul Curtis and Avi fans this way."—Booklist, starred review

"When the town’s inhabitants undertake a liberation effort, the characters must build courage and overcome their fears in this vividly written, wholly accessible novel of enslavement and resistance."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An engrossing, multi-perspective debut novel...[with] an explosive and cathartic conclusion."—Horn Book, starred review

"A well-written book that explores a relatively unknown piece of history....Filled with both hope and joy, it explores the families we are born into as well as the families we create."—School Library Connection, starred review

"Journalist and historian Amina Luqman-Dawson’s debut middle grade novel, Freewater, is historical fiction at its finest... A gripping, emotional story. Its short chapters and expert pacing seize the reader’s attention, and its young freedom-seeking protagonists are instantly engaging."—Bookpage

03/25/2022

Gr 5–8—Sometimes, to be free, you have to make a life in a place where no one can find you. Freewater is such a place. With their mother leading the way, Homer and his younger sister Ada try to escape their hellish lives of slavery on the Southerland Plantation. But Homer remembers his promise of freedom to his friend Anna; his mother turns back for her but is caught. Homer and Ada run to nearby river and plunge into the raging waters that carry them into the Great Dismal Swamp. Lost and disoriented, they are rescued by Suleman, a mysterious and taciturn guide who leads them through the inhospitable swamp to Freewater, a settlement of escaped men, women, and children living in freedom. Slowly, Homer begins to appreciate living and working together to contribute to the thriving community. But what about his mama? Plagued by guilt about his mother's capture, Homer decides to return to the plantation to rescue his mother and Anna. His new friends from Freewater pledge to return with him. Using a hand-drawn map that (unbelievably) survives multiple drenchings, Homer and company undertake the seemingly impossible rescue. Told from many alternating points of view, it is somewhat challenging to keep the characters straight at the outset. While using archeological evidence of settlements of formerly enslaved people within the Great Dismal Swamp as the basis for the text, the story itself is a speculative look into such a community. VERDICT A fascinating look at a fictional Black resistance settlement in little-known place.—Lisa Crandall

Cary Hite and Sisi Aisha Johnson create an astonishing number of distinct characters in this historical fiction based on true stories of escaped enslaved people. Hite voices 12-year-old Homer, who escapes from the Southerland plantation with his younger sister, Ada. He conveys their childish naïveté and wonder when they are rescued and brought to Freewater, a secret community of escaped enslaved people who live hidden deep in a swamp. Hite is just as convincing as the plantation overseer who is hunting for the pair. In alternating chapters, Johnson is engaging as she voices Homer’s friend, Anna, at the plantation; the headstrong, freeborn Sanzi in Freewater, and various members of the plantation owner’s family. Working together, the two narrators bring the historical setting vividly to life. S.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Newbery Medal © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

★ 2021-11-30
Two youngsters escaping slavery find refuge.

Twelve-year-old Homer and his little sister, Ada, become separated from their mother as they attempt to flee enslavement on the Southerland plantation. They are rescued by Suleman, who takes them deep into the Great Dismal Swamp, where they join Freewater, a community of people who successfully fled from slavery and children who were born there. They work together to remain free, support one another, and remember the history of their founding. Suleman is one of the men who patrols the swamp, watching for any who would seek to reenslave them. He and others raid neighboring plantations for supplies. Freeborn Sanzi, 12, is determined to be a hero like Suleman—even if it gets her into trouble—and when her efforts go badly wrong, it places their settlement in danger. Meanwhile, back at Southerland, Homer’s mother has been caught and severely whipped. This does not keep Homer’s friend Anna from plotting her own escape while Homer seeks a way to rescue his mother. Set in a fictional community but based on real stories of those who fled slavery and lived secretly in Southern swamps, this is detailed and well-researched historical fiction. The characters are varied, complex, and fully realized. Descriptions of the setting are so vivid that it becomes a key aspect of the narrative. The page-turning action will engage readers as the story reaches a satisfying conclusion.

An exceptional addition to the resistance stories of enslaved people. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)