First published 2005
Soonie's great-grandmother was only seven when slave traders tore her from her parents and sold her to a plantation. She carried nothing but fabric scraps and sewing needles. With these simple tools, she created quilts with hidden meanings. Patches called North Star and Crossroads became secret maps called Show Ways that guided enslaved people toward freedom. She taught this knowledge to her daughter, who passed it to the next generation. Now Soonie, born into freedom, learns these same quilting traditions from her mother. She discovers how to stitch beautiful quilts for the market and how to read words on a page. Through slavery, segregation, and freedom marches, the women in her family have kept the Show Way tradition alive. Each generation adds new chapters to this story of survival and hope. Soonie holds the threads that connect her to ancestors who turned scraps into salvation and suffering into strength.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, generational-saga
Setting: Plantation
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
48 pages · Hardcover · Nancy Paulsen Books
Content warnings: slavery