Tag: slavery

A few weeks ago Marshmallow reviewed Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, the first in the author’s Seeds of America trilogy. Today she is writing about the second book in the series: Forge, first published in 2010.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like historical fiction books or emotional roller coasters, or if you have enjoyed reading other books by Laurie Halse Anderson, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Curzon is a soldier, but some people don’t see him that way. He is a runaway slave during the American Revolution and has signed up to fight for the Patriots until the end of the war. Life for him is dangerous as he is posing as a freed man. If the wrong people find out the wrong things about him and his past, he would lose his newly gained freedom. Unfortunately, because of his skin color, some of his fellow soldiers do not treat him well. One in particular, named John Burns, is a constant menace and a thorn in Curzon’s side. 

Curzon is a character we met before in the first book of the trilogy, Chains. There he was serving as a slave for a Mister Bellingham, who would enlist Curzon’s help to further the Patriot cause. Then, Curzon met Isabel, the narrator of that book, who, together with her sister Ruth, was also a slave. Curzon and Isabel escaped together after Ruth was sold away by Isabel’s evil “owner” Mrs. Lockton. Afterwards, Isabel wanted to try to find Ruth, but Curzon suspected that she was dead. Isabel and Curzon eventually split, and Isabel would not stop looking for her sister. Curzon then enlisted in the Patriot Army. 

In this book, Curzon and the other soldiers in the Patriot Army must endure the dangers of the Valley Forge. They face starvation due to shortages in their supplies and the freezing cold that could steal their health, their limbs, and their lives. Curzon starts to make friends with some of the other soldiers, one being Ebenezer Woofruff. Ebenezer is trusting and has a kind nature, especially after Curzon saved his life (which led to Curzon’s enlistment). At Valley Forge, Curzon and his fellow soldiers struggle to build a hut or cottage to shelter in during the winter. The conditions are rough; their breakfast, lunch, and dinner consist only of water and fire cake, made of water and flour. But even in these harsh times, Curzon still thinks and worries a lot about Isabel. Time passes and he begins to miss her, even though he does not want to. 

Valley Forge is full of surprises and old acquaintances began to appear. Curzon’s old “master” Bellingham comes to Valley Forge with Isabel in tow as his slave. Bellingham practically enslaves Curzon once more, and he is separated from his friends. Isabel and Curzon are mutually unhappy with each other, but their situations are bad so they eventually come together and try to work together again to regain their freedom.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found Forge to be a very interesting and very well written addition to the Seeds of America trilogy. Narrated from the perspective of Curzon, this book in some ways complements the story of Chains while it continues it. I recommend having read the first book, but (unusually) I think Forge could be read and understood without it as well.

The author does a great job of setting up and developing the time period displayed in the books. The characters are all very human, and their suffering and emotional distress are very impactful to the reader. This book continues to deal with the atrocious practice of slavery and shows the impact that had on the slaves through these characters. The injustice and inequity of slavery and racism is important for people to remember, realize, and recognize as part of American history.

Reading Forge can be a very good way for people to learn about these times. I would highly recommend reading this book for the historical content and for the character development, plot, and overall story. 

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow read Laurie Halse Anderson’s 2008 book Chains at school a few years ago. Today she revisits it for the book bunnies blog.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about history and life in the past, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Isabel Finch is a thirteen-year-old slave in America during the Revolutionary War. Since their parents died, Isabel has been the sole guardian and protector of her little sister Ruth, who has epilepsy and is deemed as “simple”.

Upon the death of their “owner” Mary Finch, Mary’s nephew Robert Finch claims Isabel and Ruth to be his property. Isabel knows for a fact that Mary’s will included setting the two sisters free. However, as a slave, she has no autonomy, and her voice is completely ignored.

Robert Finch sells the sisters to Mr. and Mrs. Lockton, who are absolutely horrid people. Mrs. Lockton in particular turns out to be physically and mentally abusive; she beats and berates Isabel. Mrs. Lockton is probably the worst character in the book. However, almost everyone treats Isabel as less than human.

The Locktons are Loyalists (people who are loyal to Britain) and discuss their beliefs and plans (with fellow Loyalists) openly in front of Isabel because they view her as something similar to furniture. Curzon, the slave of a Patriot, offers her a deal; the Patriots will help her get her freedom if she spies on the Locktons and reports to them. Initially, Isabel wants to stay out of the political unrest, but later decides to assist the Patriots.

Even though Isabel tries her best and is stronger than possibly imaginable, Ruth is sold away by Mrs. Lockton after she has a seizure (which makes Mrs. Lockton think she is possessed by the devil). And even though Isabel tries to help the Patriots, she learns that no one is truly on her side and struggles to find her sister again.

Marshmallow’s Review: This beautiful, heartbreaking story is the beginning of the author’s Seeds of America (or Chains) trilogy. In Chains, Laurie Halse Anderson, through the eyes and the words of Isabel, shows the horrific, repulsive nature and effects of slavery, and the story represents the struggles that a slave during the Revolution may have faced.

I think Chains is a very important book to read because everyone must be able to comprehend how and why slavery was such a terrible thing. This book shows the truth of this part of American history and does so without glossing over anything. In particular, we see the American Revolution in a new light, one where slaves are fighting to survive and get their freedom in a whole war of their own. This book should probably be required reading for students learning about the Revolutionary War, American history, or slavery.

The harshness of the world Isabel is living in and the sheer weight of all that she has to endure makes her one of the strongest characters I’ve ever read about. The love and care she has for her sister makes the plot particularly heart wrenching and the book an emotional roller coaster.

This book is appropriate for ages 7 and up. There are moments of violence depicting the physical abuse that is inflicted upon Isabel and gruesome descriptions (like worms in food), but all of it is needed to properly represent the time period and the nature of slavery. I think a mature elementary school student would benefit from this book, giving them a deeper understanding of what this time period was like for slaves.

As I said above, this book is part of a trilogy, and even though the ending is somewhat satisfying, I definitely want to read the next two books in the series now.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.