Freewater

Title:

Freewater

Author:

Summary:

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp. In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home. Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage. -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 8-12. Little, Brown and Company.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

viii, 403 pages ; 21 cm.

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Subject Term:

African Americans -- Juvenile fiction.

Slavery -- Juvenile fiction.

Siblings -- Juvenile fiction.

Communities -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Little, Brown and Company,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9780316056618

Publication Information:

New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2022.

Award Note:

Newbery Medal Winner, 2023.

Coretta Scott King Author Award, 2023.

Call Number:

J LUQMANDAWSON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003558056	Juvenile Fiction	LUQMANDAWSON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
33607003659714	Juvenile Fiction	LUQMANDAWSON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Winner of the John Newbery Medal

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award

An Indiebound Bestseller

A New York Times Bestseller

Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children's escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there's no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.

In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.

Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.

Author Notes

Amina Luqman-Dawson is the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning and bestselling author of Freewater and the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg . Her op-eds on race and popular culture have appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. She, her husband, and her son reside in Arlington, VA. Visit her online at aminaluqman-dawson.com.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

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.)