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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Go South to Freedom by Frye Gaillard #Giveaway

Today I'd like to share with you a book I was asked to blurb: Go South to Freedom by Fry Gaillard, illus. by Anne Kent Rush. It was released in September by NewSouth Books, an Alabama publisher I'm thrilled to be working with for the paperback edition of Leaving Gee's Bend, coming spring 2017. (!) Leaving Gee's Bend was first released by Putnam/Penguin in 2010, so the paperback has been a long time coming! I'm excited.

Meanwhile, Go South to Freedom earned a starred review from Kirkus! And here's my blurb:

 "Go South to Freedom is a campfire story for all ages, filled with surprise and adventure, truth and sadness, and ultimately hope. Readers experience the great pull of freedom in this account of the courageous efforts of the African and other enslaved people to make their lives better. Inspiring and entertaining."

 Things I like about this book:

 1. It's based on a true story.
2. Readers learn something about runaway slave communities that existed in Florida as well as the community of free blacks in Mobile, Alabama.
3. The narrative in written in the tradition of oral storytelling.
4. The story is full of adventure and danger.
5. It reaffirms the human spirit and illuminates the strength and determination of enslaved people to be free.

 I hope you will check it out! Thanks to NewSouth, I am able to offer a copy for giveaway! To enter, simply leave a comment below between now and 11:59 pm October 31. Then Maggie the (magical, disappearing) cat will select a winner -- and I will contact that person to get an address. Good luck!
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5 comments:

  1. RamonaOctober 26, 2016 at 8:55 AM

    You had me with these words: "... a campfire story for all ages. . . " Would love to win a copy. And I totally get the reference to Maggie, the magical, disappearing cat! And now I must share a blurb written on The Blue Team Book Club's thread on Schoology by Alice, one of our 6th grade teachers - "I just finished Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham. I enoyed this historical fiction book set in 1932 in the tiny, but very real, town of Gee's Bend, Alabama. The protagonist, Ludelphia Bennett, is a strong and adventurous girl who proves that sometimes you have to take risks to help your family. I can highly recommend Leaving Gee's Bend!" I echo her thinking. I still remember Ludelphia, and I read this book several years ago.

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  2. WendyOctober 27, 2016 at 5:44 PM

    I have been wanting to read this one...thanks for the reminder. And so happy to hear Maggie is back with you!

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  3. jamaOctober 28, 2016 at 11:00 AM

    Thanks for sharing about this book, Irene. Love that it's based on a true story.

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  4. Linda MitchellOctober 29, 2016 at 5:54 AM

    What a perfect book to pair with Copper Sun by Sharon Draper in which the main character runs away south to Florida. Thanks for the giveaway chance and can't wait to see this book.

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  5. Charles WatersOctober 30, 2016 at 2:46 PM

    This is what I love about blogs, I had no idea about this book until now. :-)

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