The Night I Freed John Brown [Hardcover]

John Michael Cummings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2008

A haunting adventure, a brilliant new author.

Young Josh knows there is something about the tall Victorian House on the Harpers Ferry Hill, the one his father grew up in, that he can’t quite put his finger on—ghosts he can’t name, mysteries he can’t solve. And his impossible father won’t give him any clues. He’s hiding something. And then there’s the famous John Brown. The one who all the tourists come to hear about. The one whose statue looms over Josh’s house. Why does he seem to haunt Josh and his whole family? When the fancy Richmonds come to town and move right next door, their presence forces Josh to find the answers and stand up to the secrets of the House, to his father—and to John Brown, too!

The historic village of Harpers Ferry comes alive in this young boy’s brave search for answers and a place of his own in this brilliant first novel by John Michael Cummings.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

"Grade 7–10—Josh lives in Harpers Ferry, WV, in an aging limestone house with his two bullying older brothers, timid mother, and tyrannical father. Known for its connections to legendary historical figures such as John Brown and Frederick Douglass, the town attracts many visitors. Living in its fishbowl atmosphere brings shame and anger to Josh's father but evokes joy and creativity in their new neighbors, the Richmonds. Josh envies everything about Luke Richmond. He envies his new friend's normal brothers, kind father, and beautiful house, which is almost an exact duplicate of the abandoned house Josh's father grew up in on the outskirts of town. Explanations for his father's anger, the abandoned house, and other family secrets are revealed just as Josh's world comes crashing down around him. The pacing of the story is slow and the characters are one-dimensional and oftentimes stereotypical. The metaphors involving John Brown are often forced and the historical relationship between Brown's acts and Josh's experiences will be lost on many teens. The author attempts to address too many conflicts—family dysfunction, corruption in the Catholic Church, John Brown's legacy—and fails to bring about a convincing resolution to any of them. While there is some action and adventure, this title will appeal to a limited number of young adults." —Lynn Rashid, Marriots Ridge High School, Marriotsville, MD
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From Kirkus Reviews

"Harpers Ferry, WV, a little town tucked in the shadows of the surrounding mountains, is a perfect place for an old-fashioned tale of family secrets and revelations. It was the site of John Brown’s raid, and the ghost of John Brown lives on in the anger and rage of Josh Connors’s father. The gentler spirits of Thomas Jefferson and Frederick Douglass, who also had connections to the town, seem to inhabit the neighbor Josh is drawn to, an actor, historian and reader of Shakespeare who kindles in Josh a desire to see more of the world and lead a better life. But all is not what it seems, and the psychological drama set up in the conflict between the two men unfolds in a tense series of nighttime events through which Josh learns much about his father’s past and from which springs a hope for transcendence. Characterizations are sharp, the setting eerily evoked and the story satisfying. A highly original meditation on how the past can haunt the present. (Fiction. 12+)"

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (May 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399250549
• ISBN-13: 978-0399250545
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,900,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Michael Cummings' short stories have appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including North American Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Kenyon Review, and The Iowa Review. Twice he has been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. His short story "The Scratchboard Project" received an honorable mention in The Best American Short Stories 2007.

His debut novel, The Night I Freed John Brown (Penguin Group), was the 2009 winner of The Paterson Prize for Books for Young People (Grades 7-12) and one of ten books recommended by USA TODAY for Black History Month. Rave reviews appeared in Kirkus Reviews, The Boston Globe, The Buffalo News, and BookPage, along with five award-winning literary magazines, including Mid-American Review, Black Warrior Review, and The Texas Review. Blurbs included Newbery Honor Recipient Ruth White, North Carolina Poet Laureate Fred Chappell, and Pushcart Prize winner R.T. Smith.

His short story collection, Ugly To Start With, will be published in October of 2011 by West Virginia University Press.

A native of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Mr. Cummings has worked as a reporter, editor, teacher, and tutor, most recently at Seminole State College and Lake-Sumter Community College in central Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting new novel for young readers, July 10, 2008

By 

Michele D (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Night I Freed John Brown (Hardcover)

"The Night I Freed John Brown" provokes feelings and stimulates the intellect to dig deeper to discover what is real and what has come from the inspired mind of the author. John Michael Cummings' debut novel is alive with history and filled with the adventuresome spirit and imagination of an adolescent boy.

Thirteen year old Josh Connors is ashamed of his rundown house, his shabby clothes, his family and especially his bully of a father. You feel the shame and throughout the book you search for that one person who will save Josh from his tortured life.

By the end of the story, Josh discovers a certain strength and greatness in the very people he's judged inferior, including himself.

I recommend this exciting new novel for young readers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A historical mystery and adventure that leaps off the page, July 24, 2008

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Night I Freed John Brown (Hardcover)

Thirteen-year-old Josh feels like he lives his life in the shadows. On one side of his rundown house towers the huge church and on the other side sits the fancy, five-story historical residence. His angry father allows the yard to be overgrown in order to hide their house and family from the thousands of tourists who visit Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, every year to learn about the famous John Brown and his attempts to free the slaves. Josh's dad doesn't like tourists --- or much of anything.

Then a new park employee moves into the fancy historical house next door with his three sons. Luke, the youngest, is 13, and he and Josh instantly become friends. Josh feels drawn to the neighbor's place, with their beautiful house and glitzy belongings, and, most especially, to the family itself. Luke's father isn't angry all the time and doesn't yell or push his sons around, and Luke's brothers don't get in trouble with the park rangers for messing with the tourists. They even read Shakespeare, practice for the annual John Brown play, and seem to enjoy spending time together. Even better is that they invite Josh to join them. At the neighbor's house, Josh feels an acceptance, an appreciation for himself that he doesn't experience at home. He can't help but be jealous of their seemingly perfect lives.

Back at home, a storm that has been threatening to burst for years is brewing. The family used to go to church and visit Josh's grandparents in their caretaker's home for the Catholic retreat. But now his father wants nothing to do with the church or with the house he grew up in, and no one will tell Josh anything. Then one night, all of the pent-up angry feelings explode, and someone gets hurt. Things aren't as they seem, and Josh is ready for some answers.

John Michael Cummings has had over 75 short stories published in various magazines, but this is his first novel --- and it's amazing. Cummings has a special talent for description, painting vividly clear pictures with his animated words ("Step after creaky step we went up, with Jerry in the lead, the darkness over us like a low ceiling we were always about to bump our heads into."). He brings to life a story where things are not always as they seem, with burning emotions begging to be freed and lonely souls desperate for healing.

THE NIGHT I FREED JOHN BROWN is a historically rich story with colorful characters and a family secret that will draw readers in and keep the pages turning.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope there will be a sequel novel, July 17, 2008

By 

Nancy Brooks (Hamilton, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Night I Freed John Brown (Hardcover)

"The Night I Freed John Brown" is a wonderfully written book by John Cummings. The storyline just seems to flow along just like the river that flows by Harpers Ferry. The storyline grabs your attention and you want to hurry up to finish it to see how the story ends. This is an excellent fast read for our young readers. I hope Mr. Cummings will do a sequel to his debut novel!