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Hardcover Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad Book

ISBN: 0060786590

ISBN13: 9780060786595

Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad

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Format: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

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Book Overview

On the evening of April 15, 1848, seventy-seven slaves attempted one of history's most audacious escapes--and put in motion a furiously fought battle over slavery in America that would consume Congress, the streets of the capital, and the White House itself. Setting sail from Washington, D.C., on a schooner named the Pearl, the fugitives began a daring 225-mile journey to freedom in the North. Mary Kay Ricks's unforgettable chronicle brings to life the Underground Railroad's largest escape attempt, the seemingly immutable politics of slavery, and the individuals who struggled to end it. All the while, Ricks focuses her narrative on the intimate story of two young sisters who were onboard the Pearl, and sets their struggle for liberation against the powerful historical forces that would nearly tear the country apart.

After a terrifyingly calm night, the wind came up as the sun rose the next morning, and the small schooner shot off down the Potomac River. Hours later, stunned owners--including a former first lady, a shipping magnate, a former congressman, a federal marshal, and a Baptist minister--raised the alarm. Authorities quickly formed a posse that chased the fugitives down the river. But with a head start and a robust wind that filled their sails, the Pearl raced ahead--unaware that a violent squall was moving into their path and would halt their bid for freedom.

Escape on the Pearl reveals the incredible odyssey of those who were onboard, including the remarkable lives of fugitives Mary and Emily Edmonson, the two sisters at the heart of the story, who would trade servitude in elite Washington homes for slave pens in three states. Through the efforts of the sisters' father and the northern "conductor" who had helped organize the escape, an abolitionist outcry arose in the North, calling for the two girls to be rescued. Ultimately, Mary and Emily would go on to stand shoulder to shoulder with such abolitionist luminaries as Frederick Douglass and attend Oberlin College under the sponsorship of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

A story of courage and determination, Escape on the Pearl revives one of the most poignant chapters of U.S. history. The Edmonsons, the other fugitives of the Pearl, and those who helped them can now take their rightful place as American heroes.

Customer Reviews

5 ratings

Splendid Book, Fascinating Research

The author's knowledge of her subject is remarkable, her writing is graceful, and her judgments are consistently sound. This book is a great read, an exciting tale framed by a sharp, balanced and sensible portrayal of an era of shame, ferment and change in our history. Ricks's literal knowledge of the streets of which she writes makes this book vibrate with authenticity. I enjoyed it consistently--and learned enormously from reading Escape On The Pearl. Since I write fictional accounts of the period myself under the pen-name Owen Parry, I realize how complex a subject this author has taken on--and I can only say that it's humbling to see another writer do a far-better job than one can ever hope to do. This book deserves wide attention and, as readers, let us hope that Ricks will return to the period for additional books in the future.

Illuminating the American experience

Ricks has uncovered rich detail about an almost forgotten incident that illuminates the American character and the American experience in ways that will astonish most readers. Many famous names play a part in the drama she relays--Horace Mann, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Francis Scott Key--but the key players are ordinary men and women desperately trying to establish lives of dignity against tremendous odds. Ricks is to be thanked for her beautifully written account.

Everything history should be and rarely is.

We all know movies and books that are thrillers. "Escape on the Pearl" is a great thriller that really happened! The effect on us is much more moving, knowing that these were real lives in the balance. Throughout, the narrative is woven with fascinating historical details of the pre civil war times in Washington D.C.. Just one small example that truly moved this fiddle player: Slaves were moved from place to place in chained together in groups called coffles, often with a fiddle player playing to push it forward. The clear vision that the author gives of this saddest use of the fiddle brought tears to me. Escape on the Pearl" is a page-turning, emotional roller coaster that you will find hard to put down until you are finished. Clifford Wagner

A Gem of a Book

This is a wonderful book that combines history with a riveting story. Like Ken Burns' "Civil War" series it illuminates great themes--slavery and the battle against it--with rich detail, lovely writing and memorable, previously unknown characters. It is amazing this story hasn't been told before. It reads like a thriller as we follow the slaves on board the Pearl and their escape, wondering if they will make it. The historical sections deepen your knowledge of the characters on board the Pearl, and help you understand better the drama that follows. What is best about this book is that it is really a story about heroes--black and white. At a time when many people feel bad about America, this book reminds us how good this country can be when ordinary people make courageous choices. From a historical point of view I found Ricks' discussion about the "internal slave trade"--the selling of slaves from one part of the south to another and the way that broke up families--revelatory and heart breaking. I have read a great deal about the Civil War and slavery but I hadn't realized before how big this "internal slave trade" was. I can't wait to share this book with my friends, and with our teenaged children. It's a gem.

What a compelling story!

"Escape on the Pearl" shows once again how there are so many fascinating and important stories from our history that are just waiting for a good storyteller to tell. Thankfully, Ricks has done so with the Pearl. The story she tells weaves together slavery, abolition and the politics of Washington with the personal struggles and triumphs of some very courageous people. Combining meticulous research with a passion for the subject matter, Ricks vividly recreates the events and locales in a way that brings to life these people, their hardships, and the times in which they lived. Such a moving, captivating story; so important to tell.
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