LalalaWonderland

Isobel is young African American girl living in the 1870's. She and her sister are sold to the Locktons by the nephew of their deceased previous owner. This man has, unlike his aunt, no kind sold and does not respect her wishes to set the girls free. What stood out for me even in the beginning of the story was how no one even considered that these girls had lost all they had. And OK, this was probably how African American people were treated, but doesn't the situation just drive the point ever deeper? How unfair it was. They'd lost their mother and all that they had ever known. Even the priest, who knew their deceased owner, doesn't care. The two young and completely innocent girls are sold into a life they have never known before, to life in New York.

This is where the book gets interesting. The Locktons are royalists. During the pre-civil war chaos Isobel starts to relay information to the patriots, hoping this would one day free her. Laurie Halse Anderson obviously did tons of research, because the book is filled with many historical characters and tells of historical happenings through the eyes of the slave, making the reader feel that we truly are experiencing it. For anyone interested, like me, in history this is an especially good novel, because it brings you down to eye level with those important times.

The book is addictive, lovely and made me wonder at how one person is able to survive so much, with so little and so little to live for. Isobel is a brave and strong heroin. Kudus to Anderson. Absolutely wonderful.