First published 2002
Harriet Tubman endures brutal whippings and nearly dies at the hands of an overseer on a Maryland plantation. Born into bondage, she experiences daily what it means to be treated as property rather than a person. Fellow enslaved workers whisper stories about the Underground Railroad, a secret network helping people flee to freedom. Tubman makes the dangerous journey alone, traveling north to Philadelphia where she tastes liberty for the first time. Her escape marks only the beginning of her mission. She returns south repeatedly, guiding others through the same treacherous path she once took. The Civil War eventually ends legal slavery, but Tubman continues her work long afterward. She lives to ninety-two, spending decades proving how one determined person can change countless lives.
Genres: 20th-century, african-american, 21st-century, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Maryland, Philadelphia, United States
Period: 19th-Century, Civil-War
106 pages · Paperback · Grosset & Dunlap
Content warnings: abuse, slavery