Freewater
【逃脫蓄奴之殤，沼澤中的自由呼吸】
✦2023 年美國紐伯瑞文學獎金獎作品
19世紀初期的美國南方，一對黑奴兄妹不堪虐待，不得已留下母親從棉花種植場出逃，在沼澤地中他們發現了秘密基地「Freewater」，在這裡沒有階級，甚至不知奴隸為何物，在這裡與他們相同背景的人齊聚彼此療傷。然而尚未重逢的母親仍然掛念在心，而原以為能安身立命的基地「Freewater」也遭逢威脅。
Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.
Winner of the John Newbery Medal
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award
An Indiebound Bestseller
A New York Times Bestseller
Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.
Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.
In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.
Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.
