Synopsis: Hattie Jacobs has a secret dream: to go to school to become a teacher. But her parents were formerly enslaved and are struggling to survive in Nashville, Tennessee, after Reconstruction. When the Jacobs family joins the Great Exodus of 1879 to Kansas, their journey in search of a better life is filled with danger and hardship. Will they make it to the Mississippi unharmed? What will be waiting for them in Kansas, and will it live up to their dreams?
It’s the storytellers that preserve a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events from people whose voices have been underrepresented, lost, or forgotten over time.
Release Date: 1st January 2019
Format Read: Paperback
Genres: Historical, Middle Grade, Educational
Pages: 160
Review: What a wonderful part of history to share, I’d not heard of this part of history before which really makes me sad, I wish I had of learnt about it sooner.
Hattie had big dreams for herself, her parents also had big dreams as did many people from their community. When it is no long safe for them they up root with other exodusters on a very dangerous journey to head to free land set aside just for them.
It was written in such a perfect way, the story was so engaging and the characters were written really well. It shares the truth about this part of history that even though the slavery years had long since gone, they were still not aloud to live free as some white man didn’t want them around. Which is so horrific.
I must say though reading the historical section at the back of the book which I love that it was included made me very sad to hear that the land they’d dreamt of was dry and un-liveable the people that moved there for freedom and a dream were not able to farm on it easily.
I really enjoyed this book, I love how educational they are, they teach of a real time, of a realistic family during this time, these books though aimed to educate children and brilliant to also educate adults.
Where to buy: Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Wordery, Book Depository
About the Author: A professional freelance author who began her career in publishing as an avid D&D player, Lassieur worked for thirteen years in the publishing industry as an editor for magazines such as Disney Adventures and Highlights for Children.
She’s edited game products for TSR, West End Games, and Sierra Online. In addition, she has more than two dozen nonfiction children’s books to her credit and has contributed to such magazines as National Geographic World and Scholastic News.
Lassieur lives and works in Eastern Pennsylvania.
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