CHOICE
"Well written and interesting . . . Recommended."
Jennifer Wojciechowski in Word & World
"We Will Be Free is an engaging biography, and a useful addition to the literature on Sojourner Truth. . . . I would recommend the book to those who are interested in American history, women’s history, and history of reform movements, or those who enjoy a good biography of an incredibly interesting person."
Christianity Today
"Nancy Koester’s We Will Be Free: The Life and Faith of Sojourner Truth . . . [is] a religious biography of a woman sometimes overshadowed by Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass in the pantheon of escaped slaves who helped free others from bondage. Truth’s story does not fit the conventional mold of a runaway slave. (In fact, she claimed she did not "run" away from her enslaver—she walked.) Nor did she always agree with Tubman and Douglass on issues of moral reform. Nor was she immune to some of the extreme religious views (and cults) that arose in her unique New York context. Yet Truth was one of the most extraordinary Americans to ever live. Her complexity is precisely why she has so much to offer us today."
The Christian Century
"For more than a decade, New Testament scholar Kavin Rowe has written thoughtful reflections on Christian ministry for Faith and Leadership. In this collection of those essays, Rowe frequently engages in winsome New Testament interpretation."
"In We Will Be Free, Nancy Koester helps us move beyond the superficial knowledge we have of Sojourner Truth and takes us into the spirit of a woman whose life should inspire and inform us all. This is more than the biography of a single, remarkable woman, it tells the story of the whole nation—halting steps toward freedom, the risk and rewards of speaking the truth and, most of all, the unflagging hope that change is possible."
—Dr. Jemar Tisby, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism
"An engaging and illuminating biography of an American icon. Koester reveals that Sojourner Truth’s defense of human rights was driven by her deep faith in God. Christians fighting for racial and gender equality today will be inspired by this book."
—Dr. Catherine Brekus, Harvard Divinity School
"Nancy Koester’s We Will Be Free: The Life and Faith of Sojourner Truth uses Sojourner Truth’s words, along with firsthand accounts from the people around her, to narrate the icon’s journey from enslavement to the national stage amid racial violence and extreme poverty. The result is a biography animated by the activist’s wit, ideas, and affect. Adding to the corpus of knowledge about nineteenth-century freedwomen’s lives, Koester’s book amplifies Truth’s extraordinary contribution to our nation’s history."
—Dr. Alexis Wells-Oghoghomeh, Stanford University
"This biography of Sojourner Truth carefully and thoroughly documents her astonishing life, paying particular attention to the varying religious contexts that shaped her. From her early years of enslavement to her years fighting for abolition and the rights of women and freedpeople, Truth bravely crossed swords with the powers that be and occasionally with her own allies. Koester writes in a style that will appeal to broad audiences and incorporates the best historical scholarship and research. Sojourner Truth’s life receives a graceful and illuminating treatment here."
—Dr. Paul Harvey, University of Colorado
