Freewater
In a swamp in the southern United States, escaped slaves created the town of Freewater. This story is told through the viewpoints of children. Sanzi was born in Freewater. Her desire for adventure is always getting her into trouble—and possibly into dangers she doesn’t understand. Her sister Nora does everything right, but she sometimes envies Sanzi’s bravery. Homer makes it to Freetown with his little sister but feels responsible that his mother and friend Anna didn’t escape Southerland Plantation. Anna is happy that Homer got away. She has her own plans to escape North and reunite with her own mother. Ferdinand ran from a work crew into the swamps and won’t talk about being enslaved. Billy has stuttered ever since being branded. He and his father escaped to Freewater, but his mother was sold away. Nora is a daughter of the plantation owner, but mute and with a facial birthmark, she feels more kinship with Homer’s mother than her own.
Is Freewater safe in the middle of the swamp? White tree-cutters are getting nearer, and a militia is hired to scour the swamp for escaped slaves. When Homer decides to return to Southerland to free his mother and Anna, his new friends won’t let him go alone. Is it a journey of courage? Or of foolishness? The setting is perfectly developed: the dangerous and protective jungle, the rope bridges “in the sky,” the mud huts of Freewater, the wealth of the plantation, and the horrors of slavery are all brought to life in this exciting, fast-paced story. Author’s notes explain the history of the “maroons” and the real settlements in the Great Dismal Swamp. Ages 8-12.
