Stealing Freedom
By Elisa Carbone
Book Review By Lexus Gory
Ann Maria Weems born into slavery like the rest of her family. Eleven going on twelve working as maid in the home of the Prices's along with her mother, father, older sister and two brothers. Working from before the sun comes up to when the sun goes down six days a week. This is what she is accustomed to; but not her father. Her father bought his freedom just as his mom and grandmother did. Still working on the farm but not as a slave, weird right? Working on the farm to eventually buy the rest of his family's freedom something every slave dreams of. But of course instead of buying his family's freedom, someone else bought the family. But not all the family... Ann Maria Weems left behind at the Price's house still working day in and day out. Missing her family each day longing to be with them. Months passed and Ann soon began to not think about her family but about her own freedom. Use to be slave owner Mr. Bigelow the man who bought the rest of Ann's family's freedom took every chance he got to try to persuade Master Charles to let him buy Ann but no and a threat was the answer each time. So if he was not going to sell Ann he was going to steal her. Captured in the night and trapped in the back of a wagon for hours and had no idea what was going on. But come to find out it was Mr. Bigelow. Kept in the attic behind a closet wall until it was safe to run to Canada. Will she ever see her family again? Will she even be able to steal her freedom back?
I can relate to Ann as can any teenagers. Born into a world having to follow all rules every day and having to work for the rest of your life until your are 80 years old. Relating to someone that was here roughly 150 years ago is a odd feeling. Odd because you see how somethings are extremely different but strangely the same just in a different fashion.
Overall this was a great book. It left me hanging on edge about if she was ever going to regain her freedom. I would highly recommend this book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves suspense, back in the day books and based on true story books.