Nearer My Freedom

"In this unique work of nonfiction, Edinger and Younge transform the words of Olaudah Equiano's 1789 autobiographical slavery narrative into found-verse poetry. They chose their subject well: Equiano's extraordinary life story is full of suffering and terror, but also adventure and exploration, shocking reversals of fortune and, eventually, freedom and abolition work. Born in 1745 Benin, Equiano was kidnapped as a child and survived the horrors of the Middle Passage, a Barbados slavery market, and enslavement on a Virginia plantation. He is particularly expressive in sharing the disorientation and despair of these early experiences. Serving on the ship that landed him in England just as he turned 12 years old sparked a passion for sailing the high seas, where Equiano's fortunes followed those of his masters into dramatic naval battles against the French. He took every opportunity to acquire skills, from reading to navigation to dressing hair, as he looked toward gaining his freedom. The narrative is occasionally interrupted by pages that provide context for Equiano's world, which enhance the book's curricular value and accessibility to young readers. For example, why did Equiano continue to take jobs in the transatlantic slave trade even after he gained his freedom and began speaking and writing on behalf of abolition? Source notes, a bibliography, a glossary, and further reading complete this absorbing, singular creation."

—starred, Booklist

"Using the historic autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself as this book's source material, educators Edinger (Africa Is My Home) and Younge, a debut author, craft a moving found-verse narrative that draws from the subject's life to deliver an expansive and textured telling. In this significant adaptation, the authors mirror Equiano's chronological trajectory to outline his early life 'in that part of Guinea, Africa... where trade for slaves is carried on'; his time as an enslaved person, during which he 'determined to seize the first opportunity/ of making my escape'; and his later occupation as a free abolitionist. According to an introduction, the creators reorganized 'a selection of words, phrases, and sentences' from Equiano's text into new and succinct passages, providing an effective and unusual through line to the original. Brief sidebars throughout offer historical context, ensuring that readers grasp the gravity of the subject's experiences. Without losing the source text's emotional heft, Edinger and Younge's visceral poems respectfully provide an effective entry point into the seminal work. A timeline, glossary, and extensive notes conclude."

—starred, Publishers Weekly

"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789) remains one of the best-known stories about the life of an enslaved African man in the 18th century. Equiano was born in the kingdom of Benin and kidnapped and sold into slavery as a young person. His experiences of the Middle Passage, described in detail, were brutal. After working in the Caribbean, he was shipped to a plantation in Virginia and a life of bondage. When he was sold to a British naval officer, Equiano was given a new name against his will, but he formed relationships that allowed him to learn to read and write. Through it all, he never lost his dream of liberty and the resolve to purchase his freedom. Once he was successful, he took on an apprenticeship as a hairdresser and eventually had more adventures, traveling to Turkey, among other places. His autobiography formed part of his abolitionist efforts and was important to the movement that eventually ended the institution of slavery in Britain. This highly successful adaptation of his original work uses Equiano's own words, turned into found verse and supplemented with important historical context that makes this primary source accessible. The overall result is highly... informative.

An excellent way to understand a remarkable individual and his times."—starred, Kirkus Reviews