Synopses & Reviews
It is 1852 in Alexandria, Virginia. An orphaned slave, twelve-year-old Eliza has only the quilt her mother left her and the memory of the stories she told. Stories become Elizas lifeline to freedom after she takes to the night upon learning she will soon be traded. “Go East. Your back to the set of the sun until you come to the safe house where the candlelight lights the window.” With the words of Old Joe, the farmhand, in her ears, Eliza travels by night and sleeps by day, keeping her diary along the way.
Thoroughly researched by award-winning author Jerdine Nolin, Elizas Freedom Road brings to life a historical period of pain and triumph. Vivid details and the emotional nature of Elizas journal make her journey along the Underground Railroad powerful, accessible, and poignant.
Review
"A story of hope, determination, and the triumph of the human spirit."and#8212;Alma Powell, wife of former Secretary of State Colin Powell
Review
"Like the young slave girl who watches a cook 'stirring tears into...stew," Nolen stirs Eliza's sad and frightening diary into a rich, empowering story.
Review
"The best stories take us on a journey, make us happy to have gone along for the ride, and leave us a bit saddened to have reached the end. This is such a story."and#8212;Nikki Grimes
Review
and#8220;This is not a book for yesterday but rather for tomorrow. Iand#8217;m so glad Jerdine Nolen had the imagination and courage to write this. Read it now to your children so that they will read it to your grandchildren so that it will be read on and on. History and imagination is how we survive.and#8221;and#8212;Nikki Giovanni, poet
Review
Eleven-year-old Eliza keeps a journal of her life as a slave on a farm in Alexandria, Va., in 1845. Ever since Elizaand#8217;s mother was sold at a slave auction, Eliza has gotten by with the support of another slave woman, Abbey, and by holding close to her heart the stories and the story quilt her mother passed down to her. When Eliza discovers that she, too, will be sold upon her sick mistressand#8217; death, she decides to risk everything on a journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman. As she makes her harrowing journey, Eliza tells her motherand#8217;s stories, each one keyed to a square in the quilt and just right for the situation at hand. In this well-crafted tale, Nolen reveals some of the traumas and tragedies of slavery but keeps her focus on those things that allow Eliza the power to escape: literacy, her motherand#8217;s legacy, a bit of luck and a great deal of courage. - andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;KIRKUS, andlt;/iandgt;December 15, 2010andlt;/bandgt;
Review
andlt;bandgt;NOLEN, andlt;/bandgt;Jerdine. Elizaand#8217;s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary. 160p. map. bibliog. Web sites. S andamp; S/Paula Wiseman Bks. 2011. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5814-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1723-6. LC number unavailable. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;bandgt;Gr 4-7andlt;/bandgt;and#8211;As she turns 12, Eliza is a Virginia house slave, increasingly responsible for the care of the ailing mistress who taught her to read and write. Since Sir sold her mother a year earlier, Eliza has only motherly cook Abbey, the discarded diary Abbey encourages her to write in, and a story quilt her mother made. When the mistress takes Eliza along to stay with family in Maryland, Eliza learns of the Underground Railroad from fellow slaves and a found stack of newspapers containing the serialized Uncle Tomand#8217;s Cabin. With the help of a shadowy Harriet Tubman herself, Eliza escapes to freedom in Ontario, where by chance she reunites with her mother. Presented as the girland#8217;s diary published later by the adult Elizabeth, the narrative suffers from thin characterizations and awkward pacing resulting from sometimes forced pauses to record her motherand#8217;s stories. and#8211;Riva Pollard, Prospect Sierra Middle School, El Cerrito, CAandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;- SLJ February 2011andlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Like the young slave girl who watches a cook 'stirring tears into...stew," Nolen stirs Eliza's sad and frightening diary into a rich, empowering story.
Review
"Like the young slave girl who watches a cook and#8216;stirring tears intoand#8230;stew,and#8221; Nolen stirs Elizaand#8217;s sad and frightening diary into a rich, empowering story. Thereand#8217;s enough history here to make this required reading, but the urgency of Elizaand#8217;s voice makes this trip back in time a compelling page turner brimming with authentic details. Jerdine Nolen truly brings Eliza to life and puts you right on the road north with her...the road to freedom."and#8212;Pat Cummings
Synopsis
Christopher Award-winning author Jerdine Nolen imagines a young woman's journey from slavery to freedom in this intimate and powerful novel that was named an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee. It is 1854 in Alexandria, Virginia. Eliza's mother has been sold away and Eliza is left as a slave on a Virginia farm. It is Abbey, the cook, who looks after Eliza, when she isn't taking care of the Mistress. Eliza has only the quilt her mother left her and the stories her mother told to keep her mother's memory close.
When the Mistress's health begins to fail and Eliza overhears the Master talk of the Slave sale auction and of Eliza being traded, she takes to the night. She follows the path and the words of the farmhand Old Joe: "Travel the night. Sleep the day...Go east. Keep your back to the setting of the sun. Come to the safe house with a candlelight in the window...That gal, Harriet, she'll take you."
All the while, Eliza recites the stories her mother taught her as she travels along her freedom road from Mary's Land to Pennsylvania to Freedom's Gate in St. Catharines, Canada, where she finds not only her freedom but also more than she could have hoped for.
In praise of the book, Alma Powell said, "A story of hope, determination, and the triumph of the human spirit."
Synopsis
From the award-winning author of "Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm" comes a poignant novel about 12-year-old Eliza, a slave who tells of her journey to freedom. Includes historic back matter.
Synopsis
It is 1852 in Alexandria, Virginia. Elizaand#8217;s mother has been sent away and it is Abbey, the cook, who looks after Eliza, when Eliza isnand#8217;t taking care of the Mistress. Eliza has the quilt her mother left her and the memory of the stories she told to keep her close. When her Mistressand#8217;s health begins to fail and Eliza overhears the Master talk of Eliza being traded, Eliza takes to the night. She follows the path and the words of the farmhand Old Joe, and#8220; and#8230; travel the night and#8230; sleep the day. Go East. Your back to the set of the sun until you come to the safe house where the candlelight lights the window.and#8221; All the while, Eliza recites the stories her mother taught her along her Freedom Road from Maryland to St. Catherineand#8217;s, Canada.
About the Author
Jerdine Nolen is the author of many award-winning books for children, including andlt;iandgt;Elizaand#8217;s Freedom Roadandlt;/iandgt;, illustrated by Shadra Strickland; andlt;iandgt;Raising Dragons,andlt;/iandgt; illustrated by Elise Primavera, which received the Christopher Award; and andlt;iandgt;Harvey Potterand#8217;s Balloon Farm,andlt;/iandgt; illustrated by Mark Buehner, which won the Kentucky Bluegrass Award. She and Kadir Nelson collaborated on andlt;iandgt;Thunder Roseandlt;/iandgt;, which andlt;iandgt;School Library Journalandlt;/iandgt; called and#8220;a wonderful tale of joy and loveand#8221;; and andlt;iandgt;Hewitt Andersonand#8217;s Great Big Lifeandlt;/iandgt;, which received the Society of Illustratorsand#8217; Gold Medal. Jerdine Nolen lives with her family in Ellicott City, Maryland.Shadra Strickland studied, design, writing, and illustration at Syracuse University and later went on to complete her MFA at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She won the Ezra Jack Keats Award and the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent in 2009 for her work in her first picture book, andlt;iandgt;Birdandlt;/iandgt;, written by Zetta Elliott. Strickland co-illustrated andlt;iandgt;Our Children Can Soarandlt;/iandgt;, winner of a 2010 NAACP Image Award. She teaches illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit her online at ShadraStrickland.com.