storieswithsoul's review
5.0
It is compelling tale of hope and loss. It's about a slave family. Kelsa, along with her husban and two sons, run away to North. She hoped that her family can be free and happy there. Little did she know how hard running away would be and what perils awaits them on the way to North, to freedom.
Story highlights difficulties and hardships of slaves in the South. When Kelsa hears that there are slaves who have been successful in running away from their cruel masters, she decides to flee. No one deserves to be a slave and she is dtermined to give her two sons a free life. With some help the family escapes but to reach their destinations they had to face many hurdles. Many times they come close to be re-captured, many times they had to do things they didn't want and many times they find respite in unlikeliest of ways. And when freedom seems so close they faced set backs....
It is a well written book with well developed characters. Story is very engaging and the ending was just epic. I think the author has done a good job here and I really liked this book.
babyleo's review
4.0
Note: I was provided with a copy of this book for review.
The story Donahue has writer about Kelsa and her family escaping a plantation in the south to the freedom up north is a captivating tale and one that depicts the hardships people had to endure and the risks people like the Colvers took in order to have a better life.
The life the Colver family on the plantation is hard and the tension is evident, each of them ever fearful of something happening to them. This fear is made worse by hearing stories from other slaves and knowing little mistakes can have major consequences. While the Colvers personal experiences were not as horrific as those around them, the fear of their daily lives is enough to push Kelsa and her family into escaping and join up with the Underground Railroad in an effort to secure herself and her family freedom.
One thing I liked about this story is while the story deals with slavery and living on a plantation, Donahue limits the graphic details about life for slaves without taking away its importance or the brutality. The experiences Kelsa and her family have are harsh but not explicitly shown, and many of the more gruesome and horror stories are told to them by people they meet or mentioned in passing, meaning the realities of their life and others is not ignored, but the details are kept brief and are not too graphic.
Being based in a real part of history makes this story quite profound in a way. It demonstrates the hardships of life for slaves and Donahue approaches it with respect and understanding, never trying to make light of America's past. The journey Kelsa takes with her family is a touching story that brings to life a fictionalised account of a journey that many real people took in hopes for a better life and is a reminder of the goodness of humanity but also the darkness.
The narrative manages to capture the tension and the immense pressure that is on the family as well as the abolitionists which adds wonderful drama to the story, never knowing what will happen. The fear Kelsa has about their journey is evident and Donahue expresses her worry in a realistic and very maternal manner. The harrowing journey from the south is filled with intolerance, vagabonds and thieves, as well as disasters that foil the best laid plans. Quick thinking helps Kelsa navigate her family through the danger but the desire to survive is strong and sometimes self defence is the only solution.
Kelsa is a wonderful character, she is strong willed and determined to give her family a better life, and she stands up for what is right, though ever wary of her circumstance. Everything she does is for the good of her family and she teaches her boys maths and how to read in order to give them a better chance at life. Her family is occasionally the reason they get in trouble but Kelsa handles it well, reprimanding them when needed and protecting them from others.
A longer version of this review was posted on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/where-freedom-rings-a-tale-of-the-underground-railroad-by-steven-donahue/
The story Donahue has writer about Kelsa and her family escaping a plantation in the south to the freedom up north is a captivating tale and one that depicts the hardships people had to endure and the risks people like the Colvers took in order to have a better life.
The life the Colver family on the plantation is hard and the tension is evident, each of them ever fearful of something happening to them. This fear is made worse by hearing stories from other slaves and knowing little mistakes can have major consequences. While the Colvers personal experiences were not as horrific as those around them, the fear of their daily lives is enough to push Kelsa and her family into escaping and join up with the Underground Railroad in an effort to secure herself and her family freedom.
One thing I liked about this story is while the story deals with slavery and living on a plantation, Donahue limits the graphic details about life for slaves without taking away its importance or the brutality. The experiences Kelsa and her family have are harsh but not explicitly shown, and many of the more gruesome and horror stories are told to them by people they meet or mentioned in passing, meaning the realities of their life and others is not ignored, but the details are kept brief and are not too graphic.
Being based in a real part of history makes this story quite profound in a way. It demonstrates the hardships of life for slaves and Donahue approaches it with respect and understanding, never trying to make light of America's past. The journey Kelsa takes with her family is a touching story that brings to life a fictionalised account of a journey that many real people took in hopes for a better life and is a reminder of the goodness of humanity but also the darkness.
The narrative manages to capture the tension and the immense pressure that is on the family as well as the abolitionists which adds wonderful drama to the story, never knowing what will happen. The fear Kelsa has about their journey is evident and Donahue expresses her worry in a realistic and very maternal manner. The harrowing journey from the south is filled with intolerance, vagabonds and thieves, as well as disasters that foil the best laid plans. Quick thinking helps Kelsa navigate her family through the danger but the desire to survive is strong and sometimes self defence is the only solution.
Kelsa is a wonderful character, she is strong willed and determined to give her family a better life, and she stands up for what is right, though ever wary of her circumstance. Everything she does is for the good of her family and she teaches her boys maths and how to read in order to give them a better chance at life. Her family is occasionally the reason they get in trouble but Kelsa handles it well, reprimanding them when needed and protecting them from others.
A longer version of this review was posted on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/where-freedom-rings-a-tale-of-the-underground-railroad-by-steven-donahue/
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