True North: A Novel of the Underground Railroad

True North, by Kathryn Lasky, is one of the best books I have read about the Underground Railroad. It tells the parallel stories of Lucy Bradford, the youngest daughter of a well-to-do Boston family, and Afrika, a fourteen-year-old slave girl who is escaping on the Underground Railroad. As the story moves on, the two girl's lives grow closer together, as Lucy discovers a well-kept secret that her grandfather is involved in the Underground Railroad. As Lucy is trying to avoid the seemingly endless parties leading up to her sister Iris's wedding, Afrika is sleeping by day and walking miles upon miles at night, following the stars and the moss to reach Canada and freedom. Kathryn Lasky wrote a masterpiece here, interweaving fact with fiction to create a highly educational and enjoyable story.

I teach seventh and eighth grade English and searched far and wide for a good novel about cultures. This book has characters my students could relate to and enough action to keep them hooked. It contrasts the lives of two girls, one escaping slavery and the other escaping the "rules" of the upper-class. What was best, though, are the issues raised that sparked discussion, including ethics, civil disobedience, and taking risks.

I was told to pick this book up by my teacher to get a better understanding, it's another storey. I saw it was Kathryn Laskey, and I knew it would be a page turner. Afrika has escaped and it doesnt help her when she has to kill two men, it just raises her price. Lucy is an abolitionest, and is trying to help the slaves to Canada. Their paths cross, and they'll never forget it. I'll garentee you'll like it if you've read Laskey's work. She's my faveorite author.

This book was exciting and kept my attention throughout the entire story. The comparison of life in the highest social class at that time and slavery was equally amazing and sad.

Lasky has captured the flavor of the pre-Civil War era with out being preachy as to the evil of slavery. She leads us through two separate lives to let us make our own judgements as to the question of Slavery. Lasky also weaves other issues of the time within her novel. Secret societies dedicated to there capture of escaped slaves and the Fugitive Slave Law. This got to be the best fictional novel for this time perid this year