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All Different Kinds of Free

by Jessica McCann (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 471 ratings · 128 reviews

A free woman of color in the 1830s, Margaret Morgan lived a life full of promise. One frigid night in Pennsylvania, that changed forever. They tore her family apart. They put her in chains. They never expected her to fight back.

In 1837, Margaret Morgan was kidnapped from her home in Pennsylvania and sold into slavery. The state of Pennsylvania charged her kidnapper with t

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Paperback, 274 pages

Published April 2nd 2011 by Bell Bridge Books

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Mar 20, 2011 Holly Weiss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, american-historical-fiction, new-authors-you-may-not-have-heard

Riveting Historical Drama

The 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War approaches. Sound the trumpet for a novel where justice, personal liberty and self-reliance are celebrated by a writer who has the savvy to make her voice ring.

An obscure 1842 Supreme Court Case is the backdrop for this compelling book. All Different Kinds of Free, a historical fiction novel based on true events, is really the story of Margaret Morgan, a free woman of color from Pennsylvania who is abducted and so...more Riveting Historical Drama

The 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War approaches. Sound the trumpet for a novel where justice, personal liberty and self-reliance are celebrated by a writer who has the savvy to make her voice ring.

An obscure 1842 Supreme Court Case is the backdrop for this compelling book. All Different Kinds of Free, a historical fiction novel based on true events, is really the story of Margaret Morgan, a free woman of color from Pennsylvania who is abducted and sold into slavery. The court case received moderate visibility in historical records. The author states that the details of Margaret’s life are frustratingly omitted from historical documents; however Jessica McCann has created a gripping tale of Margaret and her fight for freedom.

Stolen freedom is appalling. “Don’t lose hope,” Margaret reassures her children who are also kidnapped, “…when something’s lost, it can be found again.”

Jessica McCann, an established non-fiction writer and editor broadens her talents and becomes a historical fiction author to watch. All Different Kinds of Free won the 2009 Freedom in Fiction Prize, an international award recognizing the best unpublished work of fiction championing the values of a free, truly compassionate society.

Some detail about the Supreme Court Case is woven into the narrative to give us proper perspective. Even there, the author is careful to tie in the plight of victims like Margaret. “Better a thousand slaves escape,” says the civil rights litigator, “than should one free man be thus carried into remediless slavery.” Margaret’s story, however, dominates the novel. Her experiences are as horrendous as the reader can imagine, but she uses courage, indomitable strength and faith in God as weapons against the inhumanity heaped upon her. McCann expertly endears us to Margaret’s heart. Somewhat overdone are the extensive use of questions and Margaret’s internal thoughts.

McCann could have highlighted a landmark, albeit obscure Supreme Court case that spurred us toward the Civil War. Instead, using vivid storytelling, she enlightens the more salient issue through an unforgettable character “demanding” to be treated as a human being who safeguarded her soul against all onslaughts.

For a century and a half, people have argued over the Civil War being about state’s rights or freedom of the enslaved. All Different Kinds of Free weighs heavily on the human side—the preservation of the dignity of the individual. Does Margaret prevail? Read the book to find out. Does McCann succeed? Strikingly so. She is an author venturing into a new genre with boldness and heart and has given us a riveting read.

I thank Bell Ridge Books for supplying a copy of this book. The opinions in my review are unbiased and wholly my own.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of
Crestmont (less)

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Mar 28, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, historical-fiction, kindle, netgalley

This is a sad story. Books like this make me deeply ashamed of my country's history. The way people were treated...

Margaret Morgan is a free African American woman living in the mid 1800s. She has a husband, also free, and three children. An old lady under the influence of some cruel people claims that she still "owns" Margaret and her children. Margaret and the wee ones are abducted and forced back into a life a slavery.

Margaret is a very likable character and I admired her when she chose to t...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing trip into the days of pre civil-war slavery. Jessica McCann clearly illustrates what a priviledge freedom is and that we should never take it for granted. I was told by friends who read this that the shortly after startng the book, they were mad. I could completely relate. I was also told that they couldn't put the book down. I too, felt that way as the story took some unbelievable turns. I wanted to know more information on what happened to some of the other characters in th...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book it just ended too soon. I wanted the story to continue. I guess that is a sign of a great book.

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Misfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-freebie-slut

3.5 stars

"All rise. Harford County trial docket number fifty-three, the case of Negro Margaret vs. Margaret Ashmore, petition for freedom. The Honorable William T. Archer presiding on this day, Wednesday, August 28, 1837.”

All Different Kinds of Free is based on the story of Margaret Morgan and the case of Prigg v Pennsylvania. Margaret was a free woman, living in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children, until she and her children were kidnapped by bounty hunters and taken to Maryland to...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Reena Jacobs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, 2011-reads, 2011-favorite-reads, reviewed

Expect my full review August 20, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1DM

I have to say, I wasn’t impressed with the blurb. I’m glad I’d forgotten it by the time All Different Kinds of Free reached the top of my list, cause I might have passed it over for another work. In this case, I let the cover reel me in, and didn’t even bother with the blurb before flicking through the pages.

The story started innocent enough. Margaret lived up North where blacks were free despite slave...more Expect my full review August 20, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1DM

I have to say, I wasn’t impressed with the blurb. I’m glad I’d forgotten it by the time All Different Kinds of Free reached the top of my list, cause I might have passed it over for another work. In this case, I let the cover reel me in, and didn’t even bother with the blurb before flicking through the pages.

The story started innocent enough. Margaret lived up North where blacks were free despite slavery continuing in the south. When a bounty hunter arrived on the scene, claiming Margaret was a runaway slave but had no papers, even the Pennsylvania laws supported her rights. Then all hell broke loose. Margaret and her children were stolen from their home in the dead of night. When they reached their southern destination, it became apparent Blacks had absolutely no voice in the South. The people in control were willing to do just about anything to ensure nothing changed their way of life. When all was said and done, Margaret and her children were sold into slavery without due process of the law

Despite knowing things like that happened in the past, I tend to stay blissfully ignorant about the harsh realities. This book shattered my rose tinted glasses. I cried… I cannot express to you how heartbroken I was over events in this book. At times, the kind of tears I shed were the rare ones I drown in the shower so no one can hear the accompanying sobs.

It saddened me to think folks would treat others so inhumanely, worse than animals. I’d like to think slaves were too valuable a commodity to neglect to the point starvation or disease claimed them in mass — as if there were replacements waiting around the bend — but I know not everyone is kind or rational.

Over all, this work was a roller coaster of ups and downs. One passage stood out and summarized the stakes well. Before Margaret and her children were sold into slavery, she told her daughter, Emma:

“And, most important of all, don’t lose hope. You were free once. Emma, you were. We all were. We lost our freedom, and it’s not fair. But when something gets lost, it can be found again. Just because we don’t see something anymore, doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Remember that. Promise me you’ll remember that.”

Despite the words of encouragement, it was difficult for Margaret to stay strong. Each time Margaret was given a piece of hope, it was snatched away. Every blow left a chip in her armor, until I questioned if she’d ever recover from all the disappointments.

It’s been a while since a book has hit me so strongly on an emotional level. This is definitely one of the best reads I’ve read this year. If you’re up for a work which will truly make you feel (sadness, outrage, hope, joy), I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.(less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Cherry Maylone rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book made me angry. Then sad. Then happy. Then angry again. It was so hard to read without feeling an emotional attachment to the characters in the book. You wanted to root for the family, but you just knew there was no way they would come out on top if they waited for the legal system to work for them. Heartbreaking and inspiring all in one.

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Jan 17, 2013 Mindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book because it taught me a bit of history without me realizing it. I had no idea it was based on the true story of a free black woman who, along with her children, were kidnapped from their home in the middle of the night and sold into slavery. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1842 where they ruled in favor of the bounty hunter who had kidnapped her and against the state of Philadelphia and their law protecting free blacks. This made it possible for more free bla...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Stacy Mcnicholas rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am in the middle of this book and have a hard time putting it down..Phenomenal story.

Just finished this book...great story.

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Dec 16, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel took its inspiration from a real situation where a black woman took her case to freedom to court.
Here we have Margaret, whose mother was freed by her owner, Mr Ashmore, and who therefore was born free in Maryland in the early 1800s. She became a seamstress and married a freed black man. After a few years, the two moved to Pennsylvania, a free state.
Margaret had been taught to read and write by Mrs. Ashmore, who is now a widow. Mrs. Ashmore is convinced by her daughter to send someone...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded 'All Different Kinds of Free' several months ago. The book was a free download I found it listed among many others on a freebie site. I finally got a chance to start the book on Thursady of this week and I just had to finish it straight through. The book was based around state's rights vs. federal rights in the 1800's.

The book is telling the story of Margaret Morgan and what she along with her family experience because of slavery and the laws that upheld them. The story offers a lo...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Barbara Burd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very difficult book to read since it is a primary example of "man's inhumanity to man." It's just so heartbreaking to know that we have treated others with such disdain and mistreatment. And that the legal system which should be the arbiter of fairness can get things so wrong. This story is loosely based on a true story, that of Margaret Morgan, a free African American, who was abducted along with her children, from her home in Pennsylvania to be returned and sold by her former owner....more

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May 14, 2012 Beatnik Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...

I read a lot of other reviews for this book before I read it and, while many of them were glowing they all seemed so surprised that a story like this happened, that a free Black woman in Pennsylvania in 1837-1841 could be abducted and sold back into slavery. Many of the reviewers mentioned this "obscure" case but, truthfully, even if most of us were not familiar with the name Margaret Morgan, her case is hardly unusual. This happened a lot, which is all th...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, slavery

All Different Kinds of Free gives us the story behind the story of Prigg vs. Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court ruling that increased the brewing controversy of slavery and states' rights.

Margaret Morgan, a free black woman in the 1830's, is kidnapped along with her children in Pennsylvania and claimed as the property Mrs. Ashford in Maryland. Their kidnapping is only the beginning of her ordeal as she fights to regain her freedom and reunite her family.

The story is heartbreaking, hopeful, madd...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jessica McCann successfully portrays one of America’s unsung heroes in the years leading up to the civil war. She illustrates the unbearable struggles of a free black woman and her family. While she is free by virtue of her papers, she is not as it relates to the, very loose, interpretation of the constitutional laws of the time. Part of this story is based upon actual events. Yet, it can be said that the hero in this story is a symbol for all of the unknown heroes who fought for and contributed...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reason for Reading: I love historical fiction set in this time period about this subject.

A magnificent, heart-felt, compelling read. I just loved this book. What an unimaginably brutal, yet inspiring story. A woman's life is torn apart; she is put into bondage and yet she continues to keep her spirit free and full of hope. What is most surprising about this story is that the main character actually existed, though very little is known about her. The author has given this important though obscure...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Michelle Fayard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Margaret Morgan is late returning from town, where she was purchasing supplies for her seamstressing business. When she reaches home, she hears two unexpected voices. One is the town constable. The other is the man who had been her neighbor in Maryland. It’s not a social call, for bounty hunger Ed Prigg accuses Margaret of being a runaway.

She and her three children are threatened with being sold into slavery—even though each of them is free. So opens Jessica McCann’s compelling and gripping debu...more Margaret Morgan is late returning from town, where she was purchasing supplies for her seamstressing business. When she reaches home, she hears two unexpected voices. One is the town constable. The other is the man who had been her neighbor in Maryland. It’s not a social call, for bounty hunger Ed Prigg accuses Margaret of being a runaway.

She and her three children are threatened with being sold into slavery—even though each of them is free. So opens Jessica McCann’s compelling and gripping debut novel, All Different Kinds of Free.

At first Margaret is more stunned than afraid. Why would Mrs. Ashmore, the woman she’d worked for as a free black woman, set a bounty hunter on her trail? In the beginning, the law is on Margaret’s side. Eleven years earlier in 1826 the state of Pennsylvania passed a law requiring bounty hunters to provide proof of ownership. Prigg doesn’t have any.

When the matter goes before the local justice of the peace, he dismisses the case, even though Margaret, free from birth as the offspring of freed slaves, doesn’t have any papers of manumission. Only her husband, a slave who bought himself out of bondage, has written proof. Their two older children were born in Maryland, a slave-holding state, but to a free mother. Only their youngest, Emma, was born in Pennsylvania; that makes her the “freest” of all.

Pennsylvania sees them as citizens. Maryland sees them as property. And with that, Prigg vs. Pennsylvania becomes a prelude to the Civil War as people from all walks of life begin questioning the role the federal government should have in states’ rights.

Despite the court ruling, Margaret and the children are taken to Maryland and kept in jail, supposedly for their own protection, while lawmakers and enforcers in both states join the debate. While in jail, Margaret decides to sue Mrs. Ashmore for her freedom. When she appears in court, those who testify lie and Margaret isn’t awarded a lawyer or given a chance to speak. The ruling? Margaret and her children will be sent to the auction block.

You’ll weep with Margaret as she watches first one then her other son sold away. Because Emma is only 5 years old, she’s allowed to be sold with Margaret, who is bought by a master who wants her for only one purpose—to mate with a brutal “stud” and become a breeding woman.

As Margaret and Emma slave for their master, their case goes before the Supreme Court, which upholds Maryland’s ruling. Margaret starts to lose hope until she begins receiving letters via an underground route from a surprising source. The ending will leave you weeping and cheering.(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was as real as if I was there in all the terrifying situations this young mother had to experience. I did not want to put it down until I had finished. The picture the author painted for us of the characters were vivid. I look forward to other works by this creative author. I appreciate the research Jessica McCann did to make her story so historically significant. It was refreshing to see her insight and caring in dealing with multi-faceted relationships. This aut...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Patsypacker rated it 5 of 5 stars

In searching for “good” books to download onto my new Kindle, I discovered: All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann. This book depicts a free black family living a quiet and rewarding life in Pennsylvania. It took one dark night for everything to change when a bounty hunter sent by Margret Morgan’s former owner, Mrs. Ashworth, captures Margaret and her two sons and a daughter. This begins a tragedy of days, weeks and months and eventually years filled with turmoil, despair, conniving, angu...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Cameling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Historical fiction based on the true case of Margaret Morgan, a free black woman in Pennsylvania, who, together with her children, were abducted by a bounty hunter and sold into slavery in Maryland.

Pennsylvania in the 1830s had a Personal Liberty Law which demanded that bounty hunters show proof of ownership before they were allowed to take Negros from the state back to the states and owners where they were accused of running away from.

Prigg vs Pennsylvania turned into a landmark case which wen...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Sandra Stiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, historical-fiction

I love history. I am always amazed when an author can bring something new to the table to make me say, “wait a minute, I didn’t know anything about this piece of history”. It is this type of work that sends me to my computer to research the actual historical event. So it is with this book. I was unaware of the court case that was one of the biggest things to lead up to the Civil War. The author took a court case from 1842 and built her story around it. This is the story of Margaret Morgan who wa...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Ezinwanyi~For you, Agron (Mira, Crixus, Gannicus & Spartacus) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american-fiction, ezinwanyi, ezinwanyi-s-bookstore, inspirational, librarything-early-reviewers

In this book, we are introduced to heroine Margaret & Jerry Morgan’s family enjoying the day. They seemed like a normal family, well as normal as an African American family could be in the 1800’s. Margaret was the daughter of former slaves that were emancipated via the slave owner’s will. Margaret then married Jerry, a man who bought his freedom and together, they had three children.
One day, a bounty hunter named Edward Prigg came to Pennsylvania looking for Margaret. He claimed that Margare...more In this book, we are introduced to heroine Margaret & Jerry Morgan’s family enjoying the day. They seemed like a normal family, well as normal as an African American family could be in the 1800’s. Margaret was the daughter of former slaves that were emancipated via the slave owner’s will. Margaret then married Jerry, a man who bought his freedom and together, they had three children.
One day, a bounty hunter named Edward Prigg came to Pennsylvania looking for Margaret. He claimed that Margaret was a runaway slave and that he came to return her to her rightful owner, the widow Ashmore. Mr. & Mrs. Ashmore were the slave owners of Margaret’s parents back in Maryland before the death of Mr. Ashmore granted them their freedom.
Edward Priggs was turned away by the Court in Pennsylvania because he didn’t produce ownership papers, only an affidavit of ownership by Mrs. Ashmore stating that she sent him to retrieve her property—the runaway slave. The next day, Priggs came and kidnapped Margaret, her daughter and her two sons and took by gunpoint back to Maryland.

Margaret’s husband went to the sheriff and they filled kidnapping charges against Edward Priggs in Pennsylvannia. Margaret and her husband Jerry begin their independent struggle to reunite their family. This book is really touching. It quickly became apparent to the reader that the court case was less about Margaret’s family, but the notoriety of the topic as well as the issue of state’s rights and power. Even though it is partially fiction, the events are not unlike many stories from that slavery era. At the heart of this story, is Spirit of our country at that time (pre-civil war) and our understanding of the human rights.

As I read this book, I realized that there had to be thousands of Margaret Morgans. Free men and women kidnapped in one state and sold in another state because the government isn’t going to go to bat for a black citizen, not against a white one. In fact, Dred Scot tried unsuccessfully to use the legal system to assert his value as a "person" long before Margaret Morgan. That is why I love the title "All Different Kinds of Free".

Background court case where Edward Priggs was charged with Kidnapping of Margaret Morgan is Prigg vs. Pennsylvania (less)

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Feb 11, 2012 Kylene rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this as a freebie for Amazon Kindle. This is a historical fiction novel about a free black woman who was kidnapped from her home and returned to the people who (allegedly) owned her. She and her family end up getting separated as she is sold off at an auction and then has to live the life of a slave. It also tells of the real Prigg vs. Pennsylvania Supreme Court trial and the sad aftermath of that trial. This whole event became part of what lead into the Civil War.

This is a good story, alt...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Norma Wright rated it 4 of 5 stars

All Different Kinds of Free, by Jessica McCann is the story of a free black woman, Margaret Morgan, and her fight against slavery even as she was kidnapped as a runaway slave and sold into slavery. Even though this book is historical fiction, Margaret Morgan was a real person. She was the impetus for the case Prigg v. State of Pennsylvania. This Supreme Court case was the first time the federal government publicly made a pro-slavery declaration. This ruling further served to inflame both sides o...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I often hesitate when reading a book about slavery, especially slavery within the United States. This can be a very emotional subject for many of African-American descent. I wish I could say that All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann wasn't an emotionally-charged read, but it was . . . in a very good way. Ms. McCann provides a poignant bordering on tragic fictionalization of the life of Margaret Morgan and family.

Margaret was born to freed slaves of Mr. Ashmore and grew up free in Maryl...more I often hesitate when reading a book about slavery, especially slavery within the United States. This can be a very emotional subject for many of African-American descent. I wish I could say that All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann wasn't an emotionally-charged read, but it was . . . in a very good way. Ms. McCann provides a poignant bordering on tragic fictionalization of the life of Margaret Morgan and family.

Margaret was born to freed slaves of Mr. Ashmore and grew up free in Maryland. She was taught to read by Mrs. Ashmore. She marries Jerry Morgan, a freed slave, and they have three children -- Sammy, Johnny and Emma. When tensions rise in Maryland due to an attempted slave revolt, they move to Philadelphia where Blacks are treated with humanity and a sense of respect. Margaret is an accomplished seamstress and quite happy with her life in Pennsylvania. Jerry works as a teamster and earns enough to keep his family clothed and well fed. All is well with the Morgans until the day Edward Prigg comes to Philadelphia. Prigg asserts that he is a bounty-hunter looking for a runaway slave of Mrs. Ashmore, Margaret Morgan. His quest is thought to be thwarted when the Pennsylvania courts rule that since he doesn't have papers showing ownership the Morgans remain free. However, Mr. Prigg doesn't like to be told no and mounts a late-night capture of Margaret Morgan and her children. Before they know it, they are back in Maryland with the intent of being sold to offset Mrs. Ashmore’s debts. Thus begins a fight between the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland on state rights. Pennsylvania in 1835 is a state that presumes a Black man or woman is free and since the state doesn't recognize slavery, goes out of its way to protect the rights of these men and women. Maryland is a slave state and presumes that any Black man or woman seen out and about is a slave or a runaway and the only rights to be protected are those of the slaves' owners. While Margaret and her children languish in a jail cell, Maryland and Pennsylvania launch a battle that is taken all the way to the Supreme Court. Margaret even tries to sue Mrs. Ashmore to prove that she was born free, but she isn't allowed to question anyone in court, have an attorney protect her interests or present evidence on her behalf so she loses. What follows is heart-wrenching. Margaret and her children are prepared for sale and her sons are sold to two different slave owners. Margaret and Emma are sold together to a slave-owner from South Carolina that has started his own "breeding" program.

Although Margaret is intended to be a house slave, her attitude gets her beaten and raped on the first night at the plantation. She does eventually find her "place" acting as a nurse to the other slaves. She and Emma are permitted to grow foods that supplement the allotted foods to the slaves as well as herbs used to treat their sicknesses. Meanwhile, back in Maryland, Mrs. Ashmore is starting to have a change of heart. She has become "friends" with her one remaining slave, Jim. Jim finds a way to get messages to Margaret using the Underground Railroad. Later when he is freed, Jim leaves Maryland for South Carolina to purchase the freedom of Margaret and Emma, with the blessings of Mrs. Ashmore. The results are less than spectacular.

All Different Kinds of Free is not light-hearted but it is a well-written and thought-provoking read. The characters endure harshness and strife that we can only imagine, but they do endure. Margaret is completely believable as a Black woman that has never been a slave. She has a quickness of mind and the unguarded tongue of someone that has never been whipped or feared being whipped for speaking her mind. She does guard her behavior in public but it is her tongue that gets her into trouble time and time again. Margaret eventually learns how to appear subservient while getting her way. She teaches her daughter to read and throughout all of their woes and struggles as slaves they endure and remain hopeful. I think it was their enduring hope that made this a good read for me.(less)

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May 16, 2011 Carla Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

Warning: This review contains spoilers for the plot and ending!

I really wanted to love this book. It had everything in it that destined it to be a favorite of mine--historical significance, a gripping storyline and a strong female character. And, I tried loving. Really, I did. I read the other reviews and kept hoping to fall in love with it the way that others apparently had.

But it just never happened. The historical significance was intriguing-a little known court case of Prigg v. Pennsylvania,...more
Warning: This review contains spoilers for the plot and ending!

I really wanted to love this book. It had everything in it that destined it to be a favorite of mine--historical significance, a gripping storyline and a strong female character. And, I tried loving. Really, I did. I read the other reviews and kept hoping to fall in love with it the way that others apparently had.

But it just never happened. The historical significance was intriguing-a little known court case of Prigg v. Pennsylvania, whereby an evil slavetrader goes into a free state and captures a free black woman and her children, then returns with them further south. The potential was so ripe--I could only imagine how a young mother with three children would feel to go through with such an ordeal.

In the end, though, that's exactly what I had to do--imagine it. The author never made clear to me the obvious horror and hatred and fear this woman must have felt to see her children sold at a slave auction, to know she would never see her sons again, to be forced from her home, lose her husband, be mated to a brutal sadist. Most of her time in jail isn't even discussed. "Months later" just doesn't do the job here for me. I wanted those long, lonely and agonizing months to play out on the page. There were much more that was left unsaid that I thought really needed to be said. I never really understood the whole 'trick' she played with her new slave husband so she wouldn't get pregnant. I never really understood why her lawyers gave up so easily. I didn't understand why Jim, an acquaitance would risk his life to save her.

The real problem for me was the character identification. The story jumps from one point of view to another and I never really felt invested enough in any of them to identify with their story. The ending, also, was a big let down. An alligator? Too unbelievable, unrealistic and a real let down after all the time I spent with Margaret. Prigg deserved less and Margaret deserved more. That's all I can to salvage the surprise ending.

I will say, though, that all the other reviews have been glowing. You decide.....(less)

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Apr 01, 2011 Melissa Crytzer Fry rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this novel by historical fiction newcomer Jessica McCann. The story of Margaret Morgan, a free black woman forced back into the shackles of slavery – along with her free children – is both harrowing and uplifting. At its heart and soul is a message highlighting the supreme power of family love. The story, inspired by true events in the 1830s, also reminds us of the privilege of freedom, its beauty, and just how much is lost when freedom is rescinded.

McCann’s writing sings, pai...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Review originally posted on my blog : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2011...

In history class we learn of the importance and influence the Supreme Court decision on Dred Scott's case had on the United States of America and Lincoln. Eventually the country would resort to war.

Years earlier, in the 1830's, a free black woman living in Pennsylvania with her free husband and free children was kidnapped by a bounty hunter, taken to Maryland and sold into slavery. Margaret Morgan's life would never b...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Ginger Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a sad story, but it also has rewarding parts. It is interesting to see how life might have been for the slaves and how it was a challenge to be free at the same time. Reading this book is well worth your time.

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Apr 02, 2011 Uniflame rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, read2011, for-review

Margaret Morgan is married and lives happily with her husband and her three children. Margaret is a free woman of color in the 1830's, until a bounty hunter comes to collect her and her children to return her to her former owner in Maryland. Margaret tries to hold her family together and fights every step along the way. This is a book, based on a true story, about a remarkable woman who didn't give up.

Personal opinion:
I was drawn into this book after only a few chapters and it was almost impossi...more

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Genres

Historical Fiction

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Cultural > African American

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Book Club

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Young Adult

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Drama

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Novels

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Literature > 19th Century

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About Jessica McCann

Thank you for visiting me on Goodreads! I'm the author of the novel All Different Kinds of Free and a professional freelance writer. My creative nonfiction and reporting have been published in Business Week, Phoenix, Raising Arizona Kids and The Writer magazines, among others.

Reading and writing historical fiction is my passion, though I'm also drawn to memoirs, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, l...more

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“A book is like the best friend you can imagine. Once you read a book, it stays with you forever.” — 9 people liked it

“I had no vote in the making of such a law, and I have no intention of abiding by it, either.” — 3 people liked it

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All Different Kinds of Free

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