Customer Reviews

Night Boat to Freedom

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Night Boat to Freedom is a wonderful story about the Underground Railroad, as told from the point of view of two "ordinary" people who made it possible.

Beyond that, it is a story about dignity and courage, and a devotion to the ideal of freedom.

My eight year old son loved the book, and it served as a starting point for us to examine the issues of slavery, freedom, segregation, and integration.

A great read with illustrations that inspire, primary schools would do well to include it on their reading lists.

Christmas John is 12 when he begins rowing slaves across the Ohio River from Kentucky to freedom. His Granny Judith has one request--what color did the passenger wear? Whatever color he tells her, she sews into a dazzling quilt. And it's all the more poignant after she relates how she was lured onto a slave ship in Africa with patches of bright, red cloth.

But red will also be a lucky hue. When there's only two more spaces left on the quilt, she sews John a crimson shirt. But the dogs are on his scent, and the owners are out with guns ... and ... and ... you have to read the rest yourself.

The illustrator goes heavy on realism, the better to layer all the details, the symbols, the textures and shades and shadows of slavery. Lewis makes sure we won't miss a line on Granny Judith's careworn face or the creeping gloom of the predawn river.

But the real treat is Raven's suspenseful, atmospheric text, told in first person from Christmas John's perspective. The tone is reverant, even hushed, and heavy with imagery and layered meaning:

"Then Granny Judith spoke so low even the dark couldn't hear her. 'But now, Christmas John, we got a chance to learn the color of freedom!'"

Though the story's fictional, the author describes in a lengthy end note how she delved into the Slave Narrative Collection, compiled by the government during the Great Depression, for inspiration. The individuals are based on two real people who likely never met, but whose histories have been stitched together for the sake of one seamless narrative.

This book was written by Margot Theis Raven and is called Night Boat to Freedom. There was once a little boy named Christmas John. He was born on Christmas that's why his name is Christmas John. He has a Granny and her name is Judith. She raised him since he was small and they're both in slavery. Granny Judith was telling Christmas John a story about when she was younger. A stranger came to her village and put red cloth in front of her it was so beautiful she grabbed for it. The stranger tricked her across the river on a boat with bigger pieces. So now red is the color of slavery for Granny Judith. Granny Judith and Christmas John want to learn the colors of freedom. There's a man with a station across the river for escaped slaves. Granny Judith wants Christmas John to take Molly, Cook's daughter, to him. Christmas John is only 12 years old. He thought that he should feel as strong as a boy but he felt as weak as a baby. Granny Judith wanted to know what color Molly wore to freedom. When Christmas John told Granny Judith blue she smiled. If slaves wanted to get across the river they would have to know a password from the bible `Menare." Granny Judith had a dream that they had to leave to. When they finally got across the river Christmas John asked Granny Judith, "What color is freedom tonight." Granny Judith responded, "All the colors are freedom."

Christmas John is brave, helpful and selfless. For example: He took a lot of people over the river to freedom and it was dangerous. He could have been seriously punished. He had so many fears but he had to face his fears. I bet he felt good. He could've died but he wanted to help his people across the river and to freedom and I bet they were shocked that a 12 year old boy would do that. At the end he was suppose to escape but he came back for Granny Judith that shows that he's selfless.

I really like the way it ends, because I would have done the same thing. It shows how to care about your loved ones and how to be self less.

By Erick