Columnists
Freewater
By John McAndrew
Amina Luqman-Dawson ’ s Newbery Award-winning debut novel for young adults , Freewater , would have been a quick read if not for two things .
Especially early on , it seemed like on each page there was a beautiful line that demanded to be rolled on the tongue and savored before moving on . And sometimes I had to put the book down to pace the floor about a character in peril .
Unlike The Eyes and the Impossible , the Newbery winner reviewed last time , the characters in Freewater are human . Most of them are people who have escaped from Confederate enslavers on nearby plantations and taken refuge in a nearby swamp . But some were born in the swamp and have never known enslavement .
The story begins with 12-year-old swamp-born Sanzi , climbing a tree and looking at the world beyond the safety of her community , and wondering what adventures awaited her .
“ The whir of the leather sling whispered in the air like children sipping hot soup .”
We then meet Homer , also 12 , and his little sister , Ada , who is 7 , as they flee the Southerland plantation . Homer says , “ I had my rules back at Southerland ; the most important was being invisible . Invisibility was how I survived . I ’ d learned that all attention , even the good kind , could be dangerous . I ’ d go a full day without anyone or anything even knowing I ’ d been there .”
He describes his little sister , “ Ada had a way of soaking things up .” And , “ Sometimes Ada ’ s dreams burned so bright I didn ’ t have the strength to put them out .”
Their plan had been to flee with their mother , Rose , and their friend Anna and head north . But Rose didn ’ t make it . Before the swamp does to them what swamps do to strangers , Homer and Ada meet a stranger who leads them to the hidden community . The stranger is named Suleman .
“ He was the most different person I ’ d ever seen . His skin was a sweet , deep , glowing hickory brown , with hair
locked into long ropes that hung over his wide shoulders and down his back .”
Luqman-Dawson creates a marvelous array of characters , in the swamp and back on the plantation . Each has their own history , foibles , and journeys . The reader feels as welcomed and relieved as Homer and Ada at discovering that such a community could not only survive , but thrive . In a brief afterword , Luqman- Dawson talks about the real communities that inspired her to create Freewater .
Like friends often do , they have rivalries , and find themselves depending on each other during crises , losses , mistakes , and adventures . Young people have their hero ’ s journeys . We encounter echoes of Tarzan , Robin Hood , and Zorro . The Lost Boys . The Green Man . Katniss Everdeen . Harriet Tubman , David and his sling , and Moses , of course . And alas , Judas .
In the midst of the nail-biting swashbuckling is a portrayal of a community in exile . There are idyllic elements , but the relationships are realistic . There are diverse views and temperaments . People don ’ t always get along . Even when they work together , they quarrel . Even when they ’ re doing their best to have each other ’ s back , they can be exasperated with each other . But it ’ s still a community . Just like real life .
It ’ s a great lesson to teach children in these polarized times : The people who get on your last nerve may not be your enemy . They may be the ones you end up having to rely on — or you may be the one they must rely on . You do things you regret that have a real cost . Your community may be able to deal with them and may choose to do so for your sake . Luqman-Dawson never strays into being pedantic . She writes prose that will sometimes leave you marveling that this is her first book and not her 20 th .
There are bad guys , people intent on denying others their freedom . In that way , this is a fundamentally American and human story . There are always people who want to deny you your birthright , your freedom . Those who have had to fight for it best know its value .
Don ’ t let the fact that Freewater is a novel for young adults keep you from reading it . Chances are that some of the most impactful books you ’ ve ever read were YA novels . There ’ s plenty to chew on , whether you ’ re 12 or 22 or 72 . •
JOHN MCANDREW JOHN MCANDREW IS A LIFELONG BIBLIOPHILE WHO LOVES DISCUSSING BOOKS AND IDEAS , WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH HIM
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