Grade 6-9-Growing up on a plantation in North Carolina, Maddie is owned by the McCarthas. She works in the Big House with her mother and sister, while her father, Titus, is foreman of the field hands. Her family's opportunity for freedom comes unexpectedly. Fearing the approach of Yankee troops, Mrs. McCartha retreats to her summer home on Nags Head, an island off the coast, taking Maddie's family with her. That move puts them directly in the path of the invading army, and they are able to escape to the "contraband" camp on nearby Roanoke Island. There they are given their freedom, as well as land and jobs. Although living at first in unhealthy conditions and at the mercy of the Yankee army, they are sheltered from the worst of the war years. Forrester has created a feisty, intelligent character in Maddie; she's someone readers will enjoy getting to know. The author's use of a modified dialect adds substance to her characterizations. The story moves along smoothly and quickly and involves readers; it will help them better understand the Civil War era and the complicated issues of the time. A great deal of detail is incorporated into the narrative about the community on Roanoke Island. Sure to be popular with history buffs and fans of historical novels.
Elizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. Like Myers' The Glory Field (1994), this is a docunovel in which the history is much more interesting than the fiction. Forrester writes about a community of runaway slaves who have found freedom and land on Roanoke Island during the Civil War. The focus is on young Maddie and her family, first on the old plantation and then as they escape to the island, set up homes, and find schools and paid work there. Maddie's personal coming-of-age story seems contrived at times, especially her conflict with her mother and their later reconciliation. But the story gives a vivid sense of the times, both the sorrow and the triumph: no graciousness in the big house or coziness in the quarters, but savagery for the runaway who was caught. Maddie's courage and intelligence help her make it, but there's no happily-ever-after ending. Some Yankees were as bigoted as their enemies, and after the war, the runaways were driven off the island. Forrester has rescued a forgotten piece of history. Hazel Rochman
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