Amina brings to life so vividly this important but overlooked chapter in history, in a way that all readers can relate to - and through the eyes of young characters so compelling you'll miss them when you put the book down. 'What a gorgeously told, thrilling, and deeply empowering story.

Diouf, author of Slavery's Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons 'A compelling, gripping story told in an imaginative and lyrical way, Freewater is a moving, powerful homage to the men, women, and children who rejected slavery and dared invent a free life in the American wilderness.'- Dr. Dawson’s voice and the voices of her cast will linger long after the last page is closed.”- Kathi Appelt, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor Winner Solidly researched and beautifully written, this is storytelling at its finest. Set against a forbidding landscape, the bright promise of freedom is illuminated in all its myriad shapes and forms. “In Freewater, Amina Luqman Dawson shines a bright light on a little-known piece of history. 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.ĭeeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.

Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author AwardĪward-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.

Freewater amina luqman dawson