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Amos Fortune was born the son of an African king. In 1725, when he was 15 years old, he was captured by slave traders, brought to America and sold at auction. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and dreamed of freedom. At 60, he began to see those dreams come true. A Newbery Honor Book.
Synopsis:
It does a man no good to be free until he learns how to live”
These were the words of Amos Fortune, born the son of a king of the At-mun-shi tribe in Africa. When Amos was only fifteen years old, he was captured by slave traders and brought to Massachusetts, where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been taken, Amos never lost his dignity and courage. He dreamed of being free and of buying the freedom of his closest friends. By the time he was sixty years old, Amos Fortune began to see those dreams come true. Amos Fortune, Free Man is a Newbery Award winner that is based on a true story.
csebastiene, February 16, 2007 (view all comments by csebastiene)
I read this book at the age of twelve when I was in the seventh grade. I was hooked the first time I read it and came back several times to check the book out from our school library and read it. It is a very moving tale of Amos Fortune, taken from Africa as a teenager and brought to America where he is sold into slavery. He works as a slave his entire life and is eventually able to buy his freedom and the freedom of his wife. This book is fabulous and I heartily recommend it to anyone wishing to extend their literary library.
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"Synopsis"
by Penguin,
It does a man no good to be free until he learns how to live”
These were the words of Amos Fortune, born the son of a king of the At-mun-shi tribe in Africa. When Amos was only fifteen years old, he was captured by slave traders and brought to Massachusetts, where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been taken, Amos never lost his dignity and courage. He dreamed of being free and of buying the freedom of his closest friends. By the time he was sixty years old, Amos Fortune began to see those dreams come true. Amos Fortune, Free Man is a Newbery Award winner that is based on a true story.
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