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Description
Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.
1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.
But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.
Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die.
Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery—but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas’ desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there?
Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome’s striking verse masterfully portrays an underrepresented historical era. Tackling powerful themes of autonomy and Black self-emancipation, Cline-Ransome offers readers an intimate look into the lives of three women and an expansive portrait of generations striving for their promised freedom.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Publication date
March 05, 2024
Genre
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823450169
Publisher
Holiday House
BISAC categories
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry) JUV016140 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 19th Century
Library of Congress categories
History 19th century African Americans United States Frontier and pioneer life Novels in verse Historical fiction Wagon trains Western fiction
Kirkus
Starred Review
A deeply moving story that centers a distinctive part of the African American story.
Publishers Weekly
Three generations of Black women--young Lettie, her mother, and teacher Philomena--take turns narrating a challenging westward journey in this gripping historical verse novel, set in 1879. After learning about land that they can own and operate in Nebraska, Lettie's stubborn but ambitious father urges the family to leave Mississippi; he believes that migrating west and living as homesteaders will provide them with better economic prospects. Traveling in small communities known as companies, Lettie and nine other families journey westward; during their expedition they traverse turbulent rivers and encounter infectious disease all while being mindful of their dwindling finances. Lettie's pregnant mother tries to maintain morale among her children, but the relentless travel conditions begin to take a toll on her. Along the way, they meet Philomena, who offers herself--and her meager but needed capital--to Lettie's family as a helping hand in exchange for safe passage west. Though the alternating perspectives are occasionally repetitive, through them Cline-Ransome (Being Clem) depicts a harrowing tale. The novel's slow-burn pacing and the meticulously layered intersections of each protagonist's experience deftly captures the lengths to which Black people--particularly women--would go in pursuit of freedom in the post-Reconstruction era. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
LESA CLINE-RANSOME is the author of numerous highly acclaimed picture book biographies, including Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George; Young Pelé Soccer's First Star, called "stirring" in a starred review from Booklist; Satchel Paige, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book about an African American baseball hero; Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist, about an African American cyclist; and Helen Keller: The World in Her Heart. Visit her at lesaclineransome.com.
JAMES E. RANSOME is the illustrator of many award-winning titles, including Young Pelé Soccer's First Star, a finalist for the NAACP Image Awards; Satchel Paige; and Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist. He is also the illustrator of Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building by Deborah Hopkinson, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor and an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book; Creation, which won a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration; and Let My People Go by Patricia C. McKissack, winner of an NAACP Image Award. Visit him at jamesransome.com.
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