The Situation: It is August of 1834, and the slaves of the Providence plantation have just learned that they are free...except they cannot leave. Yes, the king has decreed that slavery is now illegal, but the master has announced that the former slaves are now apprentices, for the next six years. Rachel is no stranger to the cruelty of masters and overseers, but even for her, this is too much. So she runs. The desire for freedom - real freedom - may be what made her leave, but the desire to find the children whose fates she are not sure of is what keeps her going. The journey will at the very least be incredibly dangerous, and possibly even fruitless. But Rachel has to try.
The Problem: Being a runaway, Rachel knows she will always be looking over her shoulder, expecting at almost any moment to be discovered and taken back to Providence, or worse, killed. Even if she is not discovered by someone from her old plantation, there are those who are willing to turn her in for some imagined crime, or carry out their own brand of justice themselves. Also, the journey to find the five children she is looking for - Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane, and Mercy - will be filled with uncertainty. Rachel knows that hope can be a dangerous thing, and yet, she lets it take her from Barbados, to British Guiana, and finally to Trinidad.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in the time just after the Emancipation Act of 1834, which may have declared that slaves like Rachel were free, with many plantation owners simply changing what exactly that 'freedom' means. After Rachel runs away, she will come across all types: Blacks who were born free; many who escaped just as she did; those whose freedom was purchased; a group who have made a life for themselves while hiding in the forest; and of course, some that are still enslaved. Shearer explores the real history of the time immediately following the Emancipation Act, as well as what she was able to learn from her own family history. Rachel's journey is complicated, filled with tension, but also with the potential for unimaginable joy.
My Verdict: This book's description promises a gripping adventure that stems from the desperation of a mother looking for her children, and that is exactly what is delivered. And while Rachel may be desperate, she is also determined, while also being incredibly afraid. All of the traits are there, and they all help move her forward and she learns new information about where her children may be, while also encountering several others who have their own story of what life in the Caribbean has meant for them. What becomes most obvious is how complicated a seemingly simple word like 'freedom' could be for someone like Rachel, as well as how fragmented many families were, and still are, as a result of slavery. Readers looking for a moving adventure, filled with emotion and adversity, but also hope, will enjoy this book.
Favorite Moment: At one point, after learning that one of her children may be deep in the forest of British Guiana, Rachel has the pleasure of standing up to a mean and spiteful bar owner as she quits on him.
Favorite Character: Rachel encounters many wonderful characters during her journey, but my favorite is perhaps a man named Nobody. His story was the most interesting to me, and he proves to be a helpful and kind ally.
Recommended Reading: I recommend last year's Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson.
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