Come August, Come Freedom by Gigi Amateau ISBN: 9780763668709
Published by Candlewick Press on January 28, 2014
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 231
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An 1800 insurrection planned by a literate slave known as "Prosser's Gabriel" inspires a historical novel following one extraordinary man's life.
In a time of post-Revolutionary fervor in Richmond, Virginia, an imposing twenty-four-year-old slave named Gabriel, known for his courage and intellect, plotted a rebellion involving thousands of African- American freedom seekers armed with refashioned pitchforks and other implements of Gabriel's blacksmith trade. The revolt would be thwarted by a confluence of fierce weather and human betrayal, but Gabriel retained his dignity to the end. History knows little of Gabriel's early life. But here, author Gigi Amateau imagines a childhood shaped by a mother's devotion, a father's passion for liberation, and a friendship with a white master's son who later proved cowardly and cruel. She gives vibrant life to Gabriel's love for his wife-to-be, Nanny, a slave woman whose freedom he worked tirelessly, and futilely, to buy. Interwoven with original documents, this poignant, illuminating novel gives a personal face to a remarkable moment in history.
This was a nicely stark middle grade fiction based on real events. It wasn’t too graphic in any way, but for an adult reader the sense of profound loss, risk, and tragedy still carries weight. I didn’t personally connect to any of the characters, but I still felt sympathetic toward them, and of course learning about a new piece of history of is always lovely.
Read for the Wide World of HistFic Reading Challenge.
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