LitPick Review
Will freedom from England mean freedom for all? That is the bothersome question that Isabel is wrestling with in the book Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson. Isabel (a black teenager on the run from her cruel mistress) and her friend Curzon (another escaped slave), work together toward the same dream: freedom for African Americans.
Although they are both caught in the middle of the Revolutionary War, they have different views about which side to fight for. Curzon is sure that the best move to take is to side with the Patriots. He is convinced that if they win and gain freedom from England, they will set the slaves free as well.
Isabel is a bit more indecisive. She doesn't want to leave Curzon to join the British, however she feels wrong siding with the country that separated her from her sister and kept her in chains for so long. Will they make the same decision? Will they make the right decision?
Opinion:
Ashes is a thought-provoking, fast-paced, and exciting book. It ties in well with Chains and Forge, the first two books in the Seeds of America trilogy. However, Ashes can stand on its own and will be enjoyable to someone who has not read Chains or Forge. I liked how descriptive the book was; it made me feel like I was part of the adventure with Isabel and Curzon.
I would recommend this book to kids in grades 4-8. Fans of historical fiction, especially people who like early African American history, will also really enjoy this book.
