Part of Elm Creek Quilts, book 4
First published 2003
Sylvia Compson makes a startling discovery while exploring her family history. Evidence surfaces that her ancestors participated in the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom. As she investigates further, Sylvia learns about the possible connection between quilts and the secret network of safe houses. The question emerges whether Underground Railroad stationmasters actually used quilts as signals to communicate with fugitive slaves seeking passage north. Sylvia must piece together fragments of the past to understand her family's role in this dangerous work. Her search reveals how ordinary people risked everything to help others gain their freedom. The investigation forces Sylvia to confront the complex legacy her ancestors left behind and what their courage means for her own life.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets-of-the-past
Setting: United States
Period: 19th Century, 20th Century
336 pages · Paperback · Plume