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Freewater

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2022 children's novel by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Freewater
First edition cover
AuthorAmina Luqman-Dawson
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical fiction
PublisherLittle, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication dateFebruary 1, 2022
Publication placeUnited States
Awards2023 Coretta Scott King Author Award
Newbery Medal
ISBN978-0316056618

Freewater is a 2022 children's novel by American author Amina Luqman-Dawson, and published by Little Brown and Company. The story, about two young children who escape from slavery and find a community in the Great Dismal Swamp, won both the Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Medal in 2023.

Plot

Luqman-Dawson's book is set in the southeastern United States during its slavery era. Two children and their mother are fleeing together from a horrific life on a plantation. The children become separated from the mother during the attempt. After making their way into a swamp, they are rescued by a Black man named Suleman, an escaped slave himself. He takes them to "Freewater": a community of Maroons hidden deep in the Great Dismal Swamp. Freewater is populated entirely by people who managed to escape slavery, as well as their children. While the community of Freewater is a creation of the author, it is based on actual communities that existed in the area.

The book is written with an alternating point of view, helping to develop a large and "multidimensional cast."

Reception

Luqman-Dawson's book has received generous praise. Kirkus Reviews calls the novel "An exceptional addition to the resistance stories of enslaved people," and singles out the setting's description for special praise: "...so vivid that it becomes a key aspect of the narrative." BookPage calls the story "historical fiction at its finest."

See also

References

  1. "Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present". American Library Association.
  2. "Newbery Award Winners". Albuquerque Public Library.
  3. ^ "Freewater". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  4. Njoku, Eboni. "Review of Freewater". The Horn Book. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  5. Verbeten, Sharon (February 5, 2022). "Freewater". BookPage. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
Awards
Preceded byThe Last Cuentista Newbery Medal recipient
2023 		Succeeded byThe Eyes and the Impossible
Newbery Medal–winning works
1922–1925
1926–1950
1951–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
Categories: