Freedom's Pen: A Story Based on the Life of Freed Slave and Author Phillis Wheatley
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It is very good.It is very interesting.It has a lot of action.The whole series is good.
September 26, 2009
A tragic beginning, an unlikely intervention, and a life of hope and love in the hands of a master storyteller. Award-winning author, Wendy Lawton, does it again in her most recent installment of The Daughters of the Faith series. Freedoms Pen is an historical fiction stand-alone billed for eight to twelve-year-olds, but a book even the most sophisticated reader will enjoy. Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped into slavery, sold on an auction block and transplanted into pre-revolutionary war-brewing Boston. She lived during a time when slave children remained uneducated, women were rarely published and most didnt believe a slave could learn to read much less become a celebrated writer. Despite all odds, she became a popular poet, the first African-American to publish a book, and one of the first writers to earn a living from her work. Lawton flawlessly knits known facts and fictional details into a riveting story of loss, hope, and triumph. The reader is transported to Africa, the horrors of a slave ship, and then to the affluent Wheatley home in a way that is historically accurate, but without so much detail as to overwhelm young readers. Lawton handles heavy themes with an eye toward age-appropriateness. The characters are riveting, real, and complex: from the cruelty of the slave traders, to the generosity and caring of the slave-owning Wheatleys, to Phillis with her heart-wrenching loss, struggle, and ultimate victory. Affluent visitors and resentful slaves in the Wheatley household add additional tension. Faith and prevalent Christian themes are explored and lived out without being preachy. The ending comes quickly but leaves the reader satisfied. A back-of-book glossary and non-fiction notes add fullness and closure to the reading experience. Highly recommended for anyone with a bent toward history, humanity, or hope. From the Christian Library Journal; used by permission.
April 25, 2009
Freedoms Pen is a story of a young slave girl who comes to America and becomes a famous poet. This is an inspirational book to young poets and kids all around the U.S.A. I give this book a thumbs up. By Suzanne Alvernaz age 12
February 5, 2009
What a wonderful book!I enjoyed this book and passed it on to my teenage daughter. It was so great to find a book written for young adults but entertaining for all ages.The author makes history come alive with her incredibly real characters and I look forward to the next title in this Daughters of the Faith series. Its everything historical fiction ought to be, definitely worth reading.
January 30, 2009