Reviews
Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland by Scott Shane
no_more_shelf_control's review
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
FLEE NORTH: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland by Scott Shane is an extraordinary portrait of Thomas Smallwood.
I received this early copy by @celadonbooks and began to slowly digest this account, & then when I saw the audio and was granted access, I was thrilled! Narrated by Rhett Samuel Price, it was the best combination for learning about this formidable man. The narration gave the words a life of their own!
Thomas Smallwood is a man who deserves so much more recognition. Shane expertly shares biographical information in a way that feels riveting. The wit and bravery of Smallwood with his satirical articles and brazen calling out of slave owners was exactly the kind of narrative that shows the work Black Americans were doing to eliminate slavery.
Included here are also the stories of two other men who were forces in Smallwood's life, one as an ally, and the other a target of derision as a slave trader. Both propelled Smallwood in his mission in various ways and it was fascinating to see their lives as impacted by Smallwood.
I don't read as much nonfiction, but this was a heavy story that helped remind me that we have a way to go on equality. The things Smallwood wrote in the 1840's were profound and would likely be banned in Florida today.
Thank you to @celadonbooks, @NetGalley & @macmillan.audio for sharing this special story. September 19th is the pub date, so grab this and learn more!
I received this early copy by @celadonbooks and began to slowly digest this account, & then when I saw the audio and was granted access, I was thrilled! Narrated by Rhett Samuel Price, it was the best combination for learning about this formidable man. The narration gave the words a life of their own!
Thomas Smallwood is a man who deserves so much more recognition. Shane expertly shares biographical information in a way that feels riveting. The wit and bravery of Smallwood with his satirical articles and brazen calling out of slave owners was exactly the kind of narrative that shows the work Black Americans were doing to eliminate slavery.
Included here are also the stories of two other men who were forces in Smallwood's life, one as an ally, and the other a target of derision as a slave trader. Both propelled Smallwood in his mission in various ways and it was fascinating to see their lives as impacted by Smallwood.
I don't read as much nonfiction, but this was a heavy story that helped remind me that we have a way to go on equality. The things Smallwood wrote in the 1840's were profound and would likely be banned in Florida today.
Thank you to @celadonbooks, @NetGalley & @macmillan.audio for sharing this special story. September 19th is the pub date, so grab this and learn more!
barnstormingbooks's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC
Flee North is a well researched look at the beginnings of the Underground Railroad and at some of the players left out of popular histories of the time. Based heavily in direct source material from publications of the time this is a scholarly look at the early-mid 19th century in Washington and Baltimore. A great supplement for those that have read Four Hundred Souls, The 1619 Project, Stamped from the Beginning and/or How the Word is Passed.
Shane is a journalist by training, creating a well developed and organized account of the time, supported by remarks, writings, and primary sources. While unimpeachable, the focus on the words of the early 19th century can at times sanitize some of the horrors of the time.
For those interested I would suggest the print copy, the narrator goes over the top creating voices that start sounding very Foghorn Leghorn…
More...