Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The year is 1864 and twelve-year-old Gabriel hopes to one day become a famous horse jockey. Although he is a the son of a free black father and a slave mother, making him a slave as wellhe loves to help his father, one of the best horse trainers in Kentucky, care for the Thoroughbred racehorses on Master Giless farm. But the violence of war disrupts the familiar routine of daily life on the farm. One Arm Dan Parmer and his band of Confederate raiders are threatening area farms and stealing horses. When Gabriels father enlists in a Colored Battalion to help the Union Army and earn enough money to purchase freedom for his wife and son, Gabriel is both proud and worried. But the absence of his father brings the arrival of Mr. Newcastle, a white horse trainer with harsh, cruel methods for handling horsesand people. Now it is up to Gabriel to protect the horses he loves from Mr. Newcastle and keep them safely out of the clutches of One Arm Dan and his men.
Synopsis
In 1864 Kentucky, an enslaved boy dares to pursue his dream of becoming a jockey.
Twelve-year-old Gabriel loves to help his father--one of the best horse trainers in Kentucky--care for the thoroughbred racehorses on Master Giles's farm until the violence of war disrupts their familiar daily routine. When Gabriel's father enlists in a Colored Battalion, Gabriel is both proud and worried. But his father's departure brings the arrival of Mr. Newcastle, a white horse trainer with harsh, cruel methods for handling both horses and people.
Now it is up to Gabriel to protect the horses he loves from Mr. Newcastle and keep them safely out of the clutches of Confederate raiders.
In this first book in the Racing to Freedom trilogy, Alison Hart explores the complex relationships of the Civil War in a gripping work of historical fiction. The result is a gripping story that vividly brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war and issues of race and freedom divided the country. Background historical material and photos are included.