Reviews

Set over the course of seven months during 1862, this historical novel is narrated by Isaac, a 22-year-old slave who has lived his entire life on a farm in Oxford, Ga., owned by slaveholder Master Green and educated by Master Green's wife, Sally. Isaac is married to another slave, Rosa Lee, and the two live in relative comfort with their infant son. When Master Green requests that Isaac offer him protection as a soldier for the Confederacy, Isaac is conflicted. But because of his loyalty to Master Green, his desire to safeguard his family, and Master Green's promise that he will free him and Rosa Lee afterward, Isaac accompanies Master Green to Cumberland Gap, Tenn. Teenage readers may struggle to identify with Isaac, whose voice can feel weighed down by a textbook tone that results in some clunky dialogue ("Because the planters did not want to pay the high wages, they looked for cheaper labor in other countries around the world. They found the solution in Africa," he tells a fellow soldier). It's an intriguing but not altogether successful exploration of a contentious historical topic. Ages 12-18. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.