Freewater
2022 children's novel by Amina Luqman-Dawson
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Freewater is a 2022 children's novel by American author Amina Luqman-Dawson, and published by Little Brown and Company. The story, about two young children who escape from slavery and find a community in the Great Dismal Swamp, won both the Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Medal in 2023.[1][2]
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First edition cover | |
| Author | Amina Luqman-Dawson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Publication date | February 1, 2022 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Awards | 2023 Coretta Scott King Author Award Newbery Medal |
| ISBN | 978-0316056618 |
Plot
Luqman-Dawson's book is set in the southeastern United States during its slavery era. Two children and their mother are fleeing together from a horrific life on a plantation. The children become separated from the mother during the attempt. After making their way into a swamp, they are rescued by a Black man named Suleman, an escaped slave himself. He takes them to "Freewater": a community of Maroons hidden deep in the Great Dismal Swamp. Freewater is populated entirely by people who managed to escape slavery, as well as their children.[3] While the community of Freewater is a creation of the author, it is based on actual communities that existed in the area.
The book is written with an alternating point of view, helping to develop a large and "multidimensional cast."[4]
Reception
Luqman-Dawson's book has received generous praise. Kirkus Reviews calls the novel "An exceptional addition to the resistance stories of enslaved people," and singles out the setting's description for special praise: "...so vivid that it becomes a key aspect of the narrative."[3] BookPage calls the story "historical fiction at its finest."[5]
