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Freeman

4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 · rating details · 719 ratings · 222 reviews

Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lee's surrender, Sam--a runaway slave who once worked for the Union Army--decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to the war-torn South. What compels him on thi...more Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lee's surrender, Sam--a runaway slave who once worked for the Union Army--decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to the war-torn South. What compels him on this almost-suicidal course is the desire to find his wife, the mother of his only child, whom he and their son left behind 15 years earlier on the Mississippi farm to which they all "belonged."

At the same time, Sam's wife, Tilda, is being forced to walk at gunpoint with her owner and two of his other slaves from the charred remains of his Mississippi farm into Arkansas, in search of an undefined place that would still respect his entitlements as slaveowner and Confederate officer.

The book's third main character, Prudence, is a fearless, headstrong white woman of means who leaves her Boston home for Buford, Mississippi, to start a school for the former bondsmen, and thus honor her father’s dying wish.

At bottom, Freeman is a love story--sweeping, generous, brutal, compassionate, patient--about the feelings people were determined to honor, despite the enormous constraints of the times. It is this aspect of the book that should ensure it a strong, vocal, core audience of African-American women, who will help propel its likely critical acclaim to a wider audience. At the same time, this book addresses several themes that are still hotly debated today, some 145 years after the official end of the Civil War. Like Cold Mountain, Freeman illuminates the times and places it describes from a fresh perspective, with stunning results. It has the potential to become a classic addition to the literature dealing with this period. Few other novels so powerfully capture the pathos and possibility of the era particularly as it reflects the ordeal of the black slaves grappling with the promise--and the terror--of their new status as free men and women.(less)

Paperback, 432 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Agate Bolden

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Jul 06, 2012 Wilhelmina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: african-american, historical-fiction

This book will stay in my mind and heart for a long, long time. It is, without a doubt, painful to read - the post-Civil war period was bloody and brutal, and Pitts does not hold back the level of assault on the bodies and minds of those who lived through this period. But the heart of the book is the inability of even the cruelest of institutions to crush humanity. Loyalty, persistence, passion, redemption, compassion, and above all, love and hope - these qualities persist. And healing - physica...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Elle Thornton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I know I’m in the presence of fine writing if I find myself studying how the author achieved a passage’s clarity and rightness, its emotional weight. And I know I’m in the presence of a great story if I cry over it. I experienced both as I read Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr., a narrative of the lives of three former slaves, a Yankee woman and her adopted African-American sister at the end of the Civil War. A Pulitzer-prize winning newspaper columnist, Pitts unfolds dramatic scenes and dialogue th...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Desiree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: poc-author-content, free-kindle-ebook, own-ebook, literary-fiction-by-poc-grp, finished-and-reviewed, read-ebook-format, read-on-nook-touch

This was a heavy book and I'm not referring to the weight because I read it on a Nook. I'm talking about the weight of emotion that powered through me as I read the heartbreaking things that take place. There was a particular scene where I was just bawling and I had to put my Nook down and continue reading the next day. Much good that did me because I bawled again a couple of pages later. Some other GR friends have commented that Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of Ame ...more This was a heavy book and I'm not referring to the weight because I read it on a Nook. I'm talking about the weight of emotion that powered through me as I read the heartbreaking things that take place. There was a particular scene where I was just bawling and I had to put my Nook down and continue reading the next day. Much good that did me because I bawled again a couple of pages later. Some other GR friends have commented that Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration (which is nonfiction and chronicles the migration of African Americans from the South to the North) steeled them for this book but since I haven't read it yet I don't have a basis for comparison. I guess I'm in for more pain and crying when I eventually read that *sigh*

Pitts weaves a tale that centers around three people: Sam, who is on a journey from Philadelphia to Mississippi to find Tilda, his long lost wife and it turns out to be a painful quest both physically and emotionally. Tilda for her part is stuck with a slave master who has evidently not gotten the memo that the Civil War has ended and refuses to let her go. The third character is Prudence, a white woman from Boston who goes to Mississippi (with her 'sister' Bonnie) to build a school for newly freed African Americans.

Sam was intriguing. His non-use of contractions made him sound very formal. It was a bit disconcerting sometimes and felt really out of place in the middle of everyone else's speech. He's very intelligent and his thought process really showed his high intellect and depth.

Tilda was complicated for me because even though I got a lot of her story through her and Sam's eyes, I still didn't really feel like I knew her. It sounds strange I know, but while with Sam I could feel the raw emotion and see the demons he was fighting, with Tilda I could only feel pity and sympathy from afar. She seemed a bit aloof and I suppose that was a direct consequence of the pain and loss she had gone through. It's a wonder she didn't go insane after all that.

With Prudence, we see a lot of heart, stubbornness and impulsiveness. My opinion about her really wavered. I admired her for taking on taking it upon herself to create the school in Mississippi especially since she could have remained in Boston and continued her life in ignorant bliss. However, I found myself frustrated with her stubbornness, impulsiveness and outright naivete which led to disastrous consequences.

With these characters, Pitts illustrates the uncertainty that newly freed African Americans have to grapple with. What does it mean to be free? How does one begin to piece together a life from painful and lost fragments? How does one even begin to move forward? I was in awe of the sheer resilience and determination of the people he portrayed.

He also captures the desperation and fear of former slave masters who would do anything to hang onto the past, as well as the pervasive attitudes and mentalities of other white people.

An example:

“She’s the only thing of value I still own in this world,” [Jim McFarland] says, pleading.
“I understand,” says Moody. “But Honey is the only thing I still own. Would you deprive me of my property because you have been deprived of yours? Where is the honor in that, Captain?”

When I got to that dialogue in the book and this was about 85% of the way, I was so disgusted and I nearly fell out of my chair in utter disbelief because it was absolutely frightening to confront this type of mentality. I just cannot imagine how owning human beings as property elevates a person's sense of worth and it is an absolute tragedy that such a violent and destructive institution has built civilizations and countries which include the US.

I docked a star for this because there was a scene in the book that I deemed totally unnecessary. It served absolutely no purpose and just felt awkward and desperate in light of all the other things going on. Overall though, this was a beautiful book. The topic of slavery is always difficult to confront and Pitts does a fantastic job of conveying so much of the raw emotion of that time period. (less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, hf, race, usa, alt

Too often people assume that when a war ends the trouble stops, the problems are over. That is far from true. It took over a century to begin to fix the Civil Rights problem that was supposedly resolved with the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865! This book is an excellent study on what life was like for the blacks in the years following the Civil War. This book is all about how the Dixie Southerners continued to view the colored. Views did not change overnight. It is also about how the blacks...more Too often people assume that when a war ends the trouble stops, the problems are over. That is far from true. It took over a century to begin to fix the Civil Rights problem that was supposedly resolved with the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865! This book is an excellent study on what life was like for the blacks in the years following the Civil War. This book is all about how the Dixie Southerners continued to view the colored. Views did not change overnight. It is also about how the blacks viewed themselves. What is freedom when you have no money and no employment and no place to live? What is freedom when you don’t know where your mother, father, wife and children are or even if they are still alive? What is freedom after rape and murder and repetitive beatings? How do you reach emotional stability after living through such horror? Can you forgive?

This book draws a picture that I believe to be accurate and realistic. It cannot be an easy read or a comforting read, but it ends with hope and a promise for the future. Parts were hard for me to read, and that is because the author made me care for the characters. Some were clever, others despicable, but all of them felt real. I appreciated that both sides, the slave owners and the slaves, were portrayed fairly. One was not all wrong and the other all right. Even the most despicable were occasionally, well, at least not all bad!

I also liked how the plot unrolled. The author created a fascinating story that you want to understand. You want to know what is going to happen and how the problems will be resolved. At the end you understand everything. There are no loose ends, and I very much like the ending, being both realistic and hopeful too.

At first I was uncomfortable with the narration by Sean Crisden, but by the end I loved it. What bothered me at first was when he spoke lines presented in the third person. He stops at the periods and commas, and I felt he was listening to himself with a tone of self-satisfaction. However as you listen further, and as you become aware of each character’s personality, there are more and more dialogs and these are just perfect. He captures the Southern dialect and the Yankee dialect, the whites and the blacks, women and men and children, all equally well.

I will close with a quote from the book:

“You gotta have hope. To hope is the whole point. Being scared all the time ain’t much different from bein dead.”

There are good lines to suck on! I liked this book very much, and I highly recommend the audio format.

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Feb 01, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: southern-fiction, historical-fiction

Well-written historical fiction in the period right after the abolishment of slavery and the assassination of President Lincoln. Very hard to read at times for its graphic depiction of man's inhumanity to man, but I persevered -- glad I did. The characters of Ben and Prudence, and others, were not stereotypical in any fashion. Pitts did use some stereotypical characters I believe for economy of language. There were many strong characters and Sam's journey provided a great setting. The title says...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Victoria Hess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, post-civil-war

This book of the aftermath of the civil war is written from the view of the former slaves. After years of unrest and fighting, leading to a Union victory, people of color throughout the United States found themselves free. Or did they? Sam, a runaway slave who had landed successfully in Philadelphia, set out to Mississippi to find his wife of thirty years, whom he had not seen in 15. Prudence, a wealthy abolitionist orphan and widow from Boston, wanted to go to Mississippi to open a school for N...more This book of the aftermath of the civil war is written from the view of the former slaves. After years of unrest and fighting, leading to a Union victory, people of color throughout the United States found themselves free. Or did they? Sam, a runaway slave who had landed successfully in Philadelphia, set out to Mississippi to find his wife of thirty years, whom he had not seen in 15. Prudence, a wealthy abolitionist orphan and widow from Boston, wanted to go to Mississippi to open a school for Negros, a dream of her recently deceased father. Both thought they would be free to do this.

Freedom is relative. Walking 1000 miles in search of one's wife is hard enough, but worse because Sam expected to be treated as the man of education and refinement he had become, Not as the n****r that everyone south of Philadelphia still saw him as. He had lost his protective coloration, the ability to talk and look like a slave, rather than an uppity N----. Fortunately, Sam found a friend, Ben, who traveled most of the way with him, and by the time they had parted, Sam could talk the talk. Still, he lost his arm to gunfire one night, and he was nearly beaten to death by angry whites on another.

Traveling from Boston to Mississippi as a lady was far easier on Prudence, but when she arrived, she found that the former slaves of Buford were still slaves in all but name. They lived segregated, in third-rate conditions, were still expected to do their old jobs, and were still treated as they slaves they had once been. When Prudence opened her school, it was warmly received by the Negros of the town, but not so warmly received by the former slave owners. They saw the school as a dangerous effort to better their former slaves, and ultimately the school was burned out and a dozen good people lost their lives.

Meanwhile, Tillie, Sam's wife, was owned at the end of the war by a man who refused to accept that his property could be taken from him by the Union victory. He proved this point by killing two others he had owned when they tried to run away. Tillie, after years of being beaten down, was too scared to run, and even stayed with her former owner as he traveled west in search of a place where his property could not be taken from him.

Telling this much does not give away the story. The language used in this book is lyrical. Pitts shows himself adept at shifting between the language of the educated elite, that of the slave owner, and that of the slave. His descriptions of the beauties around the characters, and the horrors inflicted, are graphic and detailed, but not gratuitously. This book falls in the class of literature, not just historical fiction. I highly recommend it.(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cant-hold-me-down-slavery-stories, five-stars-best-i-ever-had

So glad I decided to read this book after seeing it on display for Black History month and I feel enlightened, empowered and saddened after reading which is definitely the mark of a great book as I know it will stick with me forever..This is at the heart an agonizing love story for the ages of the depth of love and the real meaning of Corinithians verse that speaks of Love never failing,I gained such an appreciation for what it means to lose someone you love and what you would do to get them bac...more So glad I decided to read this book after seeing it on display for Black History month and I feel enlightened, empowered and saddened after reading which is definitely the mark of a great book as I know it will stick with me forever..This is at the heart an agonizing love story for the ages of the depth of love and the real meaning of Corinithians verse that speaks of Love never failing,I gained such an appreciation for what it means to lose someone you love and what you would do to get them back..This book teaches you so much about patience, endurance, humility, freedom, the real effects on the mentality and growth of a slave and of course love--the book encompasses the stories of some truly unforgettable people: Sam, Prudence and Tilda and how their lives, after the violent Civil war are changed..Sam, a runaway slave who after fighting with the Union decides to walk from Philadelphia to Mississippi, some 1000 miles to find his wife who he hasnt seen in 15 years even though in his heart he is unsure if she will even see him because of the tragedy that befell their son that he feels the immense guilt for..Along his travels he meets people that will forever change his life like the surpisingly insightful Ben and endures and witnesses the aftereffects of the beaten and confused ignorant Southern whites you grow with him and like him come away changed..There is Prudence, a headstrong determined white woman who out of sense of obligation and sense of duty to her father and her country takes her best friend and surrogate sister a free colored woman to Mississippi and starts a school for free colored and learns more about herself than she ever thought possible, I did admire her fire though as even through adversity and extreme tragedy she stood strong despite her emotions and obstacles I did learn to respect her and the portrayal of Northern whites in the novel..And lastly there is the story of Tilda, the wife Sam is searching for, the woman who spurns his tired feet on for miles and miles of oppression with a heartbreaking story of her own as in her voice you truly feel the desperation and debilitating powers of slavey. In her tale you learn how the spirit of a person can be stomped out of a person like a candle and why it is so precious to always dream and strive for more..These stories all come together for a story worth reading and worth savoring, this is a rich novel that makes you think, the writing was engaging and I adored the way things like the big Buford plot are held until the end to really keep you enthralled..I recommend this book to everyone as an eye-opener and a tear jerker where you will find the meaning of love, hope and a new appreciation for the lives our ancestors endured so we can have the freedom we enjoy everyday.Powerful reading, epic and timeless..(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally published at Reading Reality

I bought this book from Amazon because I read Leonard Pitts' columns religiously. On a so-called average day, he's always good. On his best days, and he has quite a lot of them, he knocks it out of the park. Unfortunately, all too many of his best writing has been brought on by the most painful events in this country's recent history, such as the massacre at Newtown.

I wanted to see what he'd do with a novel.

Some things are the same. Freeman is also about a...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

This historical fiction gave substance to a period of dire transistion in our country. The author's use of carnage, brutality, and man's inhumanity to fellow man/woman was sobering. But then, one doesn't open a book with this premise and timeline, without anticipation of being dragged into the mire, muck of what fear's depth can manifest. The notion of lawless (for the most part) vengence from the perspective of the Southern 'loss' grabbed me by the throat to reflect how culture plays such a con...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Diane Yannick rated it 5 of 5 stars

A powerful story that takes place as slavery ends. People who have never known freedom are now free. Well, not totally. Not free of the hatred, or sense of entitlement felt by many former slave owners. Leonard Pitts lets us experience this freedom from two very different vantage points. One is the story of Sam, a freed slave who leaves the safety of Philly and heads south to find his wife, Tilda, who he hasn't seen for 15 years. Together they confront the pa loss of their son and a vindictive sl...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Minnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Leonard Pitts Jr. used wonderful insight telling the story in the novel, “Freeman."

The war between the Union and Confederacy is over, but hate rages like wild fires burning Buford, Mississippi at its roots.

Now free after fighting in the war, Sam Freeman, the protagonist, is obsessed with the need to find his wife, Tilda. He has not seen her for 15 years and strikes out on a journey to find her. His love and search for Tilda is one of the driving forces in the novel; the love, determination, and...more

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Aug 28, 2012 L.S. Childers rated it 4 of 5 stars

You know you become emotionally involved in a novel when a scene is so heartwrenching that you just have to close the book (or in my case, shut down my kindle), get yourself together, and pick it up a day later when you're ready to continue. I had a few of those moments while reading Freeman. The Reconstruction era in America was not the happy ending that many would have liked it to be (and I'm sure many former slaves never expected would happen anyway) and it is described in vivid detail in thi...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Hattie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can not write how my heart is moved by this novel. It is wonderful. FREEMAN by LEONARD PITTS takes place during the Post Civil War in the United States. Each character's story is intertwined beautifully and simply like a beginner's piece of needlepoint. The novel is a love story. Sam is the type of Black man most women find in their dreams. During slavery Sam leaves Tilda in Buford, Mississippi with her Master. Sam takes their son, Luke, with him to gain freedom. However, after the Civil War l...more
I can not write how my heart is moved by this novel. It is wonderful. FREEMAN by LEONARD PITTS takes place during the Post Civil War in the United States. Each character's story is intertwined beautifully and simply like a beginner's piece of needlepoint. The novel is a love story. Sam is the type of Black man most women find in their dreams. During slavery Sam leaves Tilda in Buford, Mississippi with her Master. Sam takes their son, Luke, with him to gain freedom. However, after the Civil War life is just as hard and painful as it was during the days of slavery. Emancipation Proclamation are two unfamiliar words to the slaves as well as the one word freedom. It's not possible to understand the meaning of freedom if you've never experienced it. When the South surrenders at Appomattox, some slaves run away. Other slaves remain behind confused and certain the wrong move will cause their owners to beat them.

Sam travels all the way to Philadelphia. After fifteen years he goes back to search for Tilda, his true love and the mother of his son. Many people tell him his journey does not make sense. He surely will find a different person living under circumstances which might shock him. Too much time has passed. Perhaps, she has been murdered or is dead from an horrible illness or possibly she has met another man and married him. Sam sticks to his plan. His plan has now become a Grecian quest. His horse has a Greek name given to it by Sam's recent slave owners. Sam's mind is set. He must find Tilda. Tell her what has happened to he and Luke during all the time they were gone. Sam is one of my favorite characters in the novel. He puts meaning to the word love. As a matter of fact, this whole novel is about love. It is a true fact some times love is lost. Sometimes love is rediscovered. However, love must always endure and never end. As a matter of fact Leonard Pitts includes the famous words from the Holy Bible. These words come from First Corinthians 13. This chapter is known as the love chapter.leonardpittsjr,
nps.gov
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Jul 30, 2012 Susan Poling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fictional-history

Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lee's surrender, Sam--a runaway slave who once worked for the Union Army--decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to the war-torn South. What compels him on this almost-suicidal course is the desire to find his wife, the mother of his only child, whom he and their son left behind 15 y...more Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lee's surrender, Sam--a runaway slave who once worked for the Union Army--decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to the war-torn South. What compels him on this almost-suicidal course is the desire to find his wife, the mother of his only child, whom he and their son left behind 15 years earlier on the Mississippi farm to which they all "belonged."

At the same time, Sam's wife, Tilda, is being forced to walk at gunpoint with her owner and two of his other slaves from the charred remains of his Mississippi farm into Arkansas, in search of an undefined place that would still respect his entitlements as slaveowner and Confederate officer.

The book's third main character, Prudence, is a fearless, headstrong white woman of means who leaves her Boston home for Buford, Mississippi, to start a school for the former bondsmen, and thus honor her father’s dying wish.

At bottom, Freeman is a love story--sweeping, generous, brutal, compassionate, patient--about the feelings people were determined to honor, despite the enormous constraints of the times. It is this aspect of the book that should ensure it a strong, vocal, core audience of African-American women, who will help propel its likely critical acclaim to a wider audience. At the same time, this book addresses several themes that are still hotly debated today, some 145 years after the official end of the Civil War. Like Cold Mountain, Freeman illuminates the times and places it describes from a fresh perspective, with stunning results. It has the potential to become a classic addition to the literature dealing with this period. Few other novels so powerfully capture the pathos and possibility of the era particularly as it reflects the ordeal of the black slaves grappling with the promise--and the terror--of their new status as free men and women.(less) (less)

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May 30, 2012 Andre rated it 5 of 5 stars

If one has a grounding in African-American history, than much of this book will not be new or fresh ground. That is not to say a knowledge of African-American history is necessary to enjoy this novel, on the contrary. You will be educated and moved by the story of AAs struggling after emancipation. There are three concurrent journeys taking place in Freeman. Sam Freeman, Tilda and Prudence.

Through the story of these three, one really has to examine what is the right way to respond to sudden free...more If one has a grounding in African-American history, than much of this book will not be new or fresh ground. That is not to say a knowledge of African-American history is necessary to enjoy this novel, on the contrary. You will be educated and moved by the story of AAs struggling after emancipation. There are three concurrent journeys taking place in Freeman. Sam Freeman, Tilda and Prudence.

Through the story of these three, one really has to examine what is the right way to respond to sudden freedom. Or is there even a right way? How would you react to being "free" after being enslaved for so long? Well we are given these different perspectives while feeling as best we can, what it could have been like. I like the fact that some unknown history is being brought to life. The commitment to learning is a little known black history fact, but is made clear in this novel. The establishment of marriage bonds and love without "legal" sanction, and the seriousness of these connections is another reality lost to history. As Sam is asked along his trek, "'you need some white man with a Bible to tell you who your wife is?'"

The main character, Sam Freeman, sets out on a 1000 mile journey by foot to find his wife Tilda, the minute after the war is over. It has been fifteen years, but he still has a burning desire to reconnect with his wife. This was not an anomaly. History is replete with many wandering the south after emancipation attempting to reunite with family. That is a serious statement on love. Some of the situations in this novel are pulled directly from history. This lends realism to the book and helps move it to the greatness column.

Tilda is a character that will frustrate some, because of what we see as fear. The author does a great job of drawing her with a balance that makes the reader empathetic, even though she makes you wanna holler! Does she choose not to change her situation because of fear? Or is there something deeper?

Prudence is anything but prudent, and as such becomes the center of a firestorm. She is the feisty daughter of a northern abolitionist, who came late to that position. She is committed to helping the freedmen, as a duty to her late father.
The revelations for Prudence uncovered in her adventure, are a minor setback for her. She soldiers on in the face of information that some would find crushing.

I know I am being deliberately vague in describing events, because I want you all to buy this book, read and share it with others. There are some serious teachable moments that are historically accurate. This novel should certainly be added to the must read list concerning the emancipation time period.

There is much to be gleaned from this novel and will give one a greater sense of African-Americans and their commitment to this country, this is a great book!(less)

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May 13, 2012 Sharon Raphael rated it 5 of 5 stars

This historical novel about a former slave who goes on a journey to find his Wife and Mother of his dead son is compelling.
I read it almost straight through in a few days time. It is a story of love and loyalty and though it is about one man and his quest,
The book isymbolizes a period after the slaves were theoretically freed when many went in search of missing relatives often never Finding them. The book focuses on Sam Freeman who takes that last name in hopes of letting his ties to slavery g...more

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Mar 12, 2013 AdultFiction Teton County Library rated it 3 of 5 stars

TETON COUNTY LIBRARY CALL # F Pitts S
Cindy's Review : 3 stars

Freeman is a historical fiction novel taking place immediately after the confederate surrender and the assassination of President Lincoln. Alot has been written about this precarious period,a time of great promise and also great fear for newly freed black slaves.
The author tells the tale of Sam, a former runaway slave, who is searching for his wife Tilda. He left her behind 15 years earlier in his quest for freedom.
Tilda, although now...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

At times this historical fiction novel was difficult to read because of the descriptions of the harsh brutality that marked the end of the Civil War. The book opens in Philadelphia as Northerners celebrate the victory. Its plot is actually three storylines that merge toward the conclusion. In this book,there is no glossing over the truth of a country torn apart. Some Southern whites refuse to believe that slavery is indeed a thing of the past. Some former slaves aren't sure what to make of this...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: slavery, historical-fiction

Harrowing and beautifully written--one of those books where you know you're hearing from a writer who not only has a vast vocabulary, but knows how to arrange it decoratively on a page.

Sam is a slave who falls in love and marries another slave: Tilda. Their slave master teaches Tilda to read, Tilda teaches Sam, and this popular Bible verse becomes their couple 'thing': "Love is long suffering; it aboundeth in kindness." The verse sort of explains most of the book actually. But when Sam tries to...more Harrowing and beautifully written--one of those books where you know you're hearing from a writer who not only has a vast vocabulary, but knows how to arrange it decoratively on a page.

Sam is a slave who falls in love and marries another slave: Tilda. Their slave master teaches Tilda to read, Tilda teaches Sam, and this popular Bible verse becomes their couple 'thing': "Love is long suffering; it aboundeth in kindness." The verse sort of explains most of the book actually. But when Sam tries to run away, he is brought back by slave catchers and his master sells him; causing him to become separated from Tilda for over fifteen years.

The book starts after the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln orders slaves to be set free, southern slave owners and rebel fighters start insurgencies in the south, President Lincoln is shot. In the midst of it all, Sam leaves the north and heads south to look for Tilda. It is the love story that captures me in the beginning. This and the entertaining and smart-alecky character Sam, who doesn't like being called the n-word, so he chooses to go around talking like this: "You asked who I was sir, you asked my cognomen. You asked my appellation."

What Pitts does so well with this novel is conceptualize life immediately following slavery and how it was for free men (and women)--particularly in Buford, Mississippi. He wrote that Litwack's Pulitzer prize-winning book on the aftermath of slavery, "Been in the storm so long," which was filled with slave accounts, was an inspiration for him. So many underlying themes here, much comparisons between the north and south, etc.

Like this example when a southern slave owner who does not want to see his former slaves educated, addresses the northerner and abolitionist who tries to help them: "But what will happen to us? It was a strangely plaintive cry, the bawling of an abandoned child. You know very well, these people are our labor force. If you take them away, you cripple our tradesmen and shopkeepers! And what of our planters? It's almost time for the harvest! Who will work our fields? Don't you see? You will wreck our town!"

The best part is the strategic use of characters (not just main characters) to show different viewpoints: slaves, slave owners, "Yankees," abolitionists, southerners, men, women. Three main characters. Believable characters. Rich dialogue: Sam was my favorite; Prudence I struggled with a bit, wondering throughout the book if she really thought of Bonnie as a sister (because why would she drag her black sister to the south at that particular time?), but came to like her a little at the end; Tilda I couldn't get because I didn't get to know her before she was broken, so I saw her through Sam's eyes. I wanted more of Bonnie though, I should say.

Halfway through the book though, Pitts switched to omniscient narrator in the middle of Prudence's narration, when he talks about Bo and Georgie. I was blind-sided. Read again. Still confused. What happened there? That was the only part of the book like that and I felt like I was reading a book that had been changed but someone missed the memo on a few pages.

Also, a scene with Prudence seemed rushed. Forced. (Not saying what because I won't spoil it). Should you read it, you'll see what I mean. The characters' descriptions and the setup, just doesn't explain this scene. Somewhere within such a book, the author must find a way to show commonality between characters. But that scene wasn't it.

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Nov 13, 2012 Deena rated it 4 of 5 stars

I saw this book reviewed in Essence and wrote down the title because it sounded like a really good read. I came home and read the reviews and was intrigued, but for whatever reason, didn't buy it. A couple of days later, I was on another website and saw that Amazon was offering this book for free - so I raced here to order it, with no real plan to read it anytime soon. I've been OD'ing on romance novels and decided on Wednesday that I just could not read another one, so I decided to read this on...more

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May 22, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, favorites

Freeman is a superb novel of post-Civil War. There are many wonderful and unforgettable characters in the book. It is truly a splendid read.

Sam Freeman, a runaway slave who once fought in the union army has decided to leave his safety in Philadelphia and head out on foot towards the war torn South in search of his wife, Tilda. Sam and his son, Luke, had left Tilda behind some 15 years ago to charge towards freedom. Not getting very far, Sam and Luke were captured; only to have Luke try to run of...more Freeman is a superb novel of post-Civil War. There are many wonderful and unforgettable characters in the book. It is truly a splendid read.

Sam Freeman, a runaway slave who once fought in the union army has decided to leave his safety in Philadelphia and head out on foot towards the war torn South in search of his wife, Tilda. Sam and his son, Luke, had left Tilda behind some 15 years ago to charge towards freedom. Not getting very far, Sam and Luke were captured; only to have Luke try to run off and being shot by the slave captors. Sam was taken back to his mistress and beaten. Tilda never forgave him for the death of their son. Therefore, Sam leaves again leaving Tilda behind. Tilda is sold to another master, Jim McFarland, who is not so nice an owner of slaves. McFarland doesn't believe that the slaves were freed when the South lost the war. He does as much to keep them, but most run off. He does capture some and shoots them for leaving. Tilda remains. Now Tilda is being forced by McFarland to walk with her owner from Mississippi to Arkansas in search of some place that will respect him as a slaveowner and Confederate officer.

In Buford, Tennessee, Prudence Kent arrives from her home in Boston along with her friend, Bonnie, to start a school for the negro children and adults. Her father had left some land and a warehouse in Buford and Prudence had decided that this is what she needed to accomplish to fulfill her father's dying wish. At first she was greeted by the negro people in Buford with welcome arms to teach their children. They were hungry for education. But, not everyone was so inclined to welcome her there to set about doing what she was doing. The white people in the town couldn't believe that a white woman wanted to help all these black people. They were needed for the work around the town and they knew their place.

Many conflicts and much anguish later left the school closed and many people, mostly the negroes, dead and wounded, one of them was her friend Bonnie. This is not what Prudence expected. She didn't expect to meet Sam Freeman in this town either. But Sam turned up unexpectedly after being nearly beaten to death and was in the capable hands of Prudence and her friend to help him heal.

Sam recuperates and decides to continue his search for Tilda. Prudence has decided to sell the warehouse and land and leave Buford. But to what expense will it cost the negroes of Buford? How does Prudence fix things for them? Does Sam find Tilda and will she take him back once he does find her?

This book is a very good read and I highly recommend it to all the readers out there. You will not regret reading this wonderful novel by Mr. Pitts.

I had won this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway and am very glad that I was chosen. It is now one of my favorite books.(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Babydoll rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:8

I hate love stories. I loathe the unrealistic betrayal of a fantasy type whimsical tale of the perfect love affair, that results in the standard “happily ever after” conclusion. I was hesitant to read this book as a result of the implications of a love story included within the description of the novel, but decided to purchase it due to the inclusion of the historical accounts of the post antebellum era in America, which I enjoy reading. Boy was I wrong. Thi...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookies, historical-fiction, journeys, civil-war, slavery, freedom, 1860-s

The Civil War is just over. The slaves are free; the South vanquished. Sam, a runaway slave who escaped to the North years ago decides he must return to the South and find his wife, Tilda, whom he left behind. Tilda, sold to a harsh master who refuses to release his slaves, forces them to travel West with him where he doesn't have to follow federal law. Prudence, a wealthy abolitionist from Boston, decides to travel South to open a school to teach the newly freed slaves. Three journeys, unexpect...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Adrienna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, contemporary-novel, historical-fiction, lfpc-bookclub-read

The love that Sam has for his Tilda is unbearable as well as losing his son to be free. Finally, I can read what it is like after the Civil War, after Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and then was shot, and how the ones who were still contained in the mindset of not accepting freedom like Tilda due to fear and others who are seeking and trying to find what freedom is truly like but can lose their lives for it like Will and Lucinda. Prudence and Bonnie want to set out during this time and start a...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Leonard Pitts. In his column, he continually amazes me with his perception, insight, and ability to cut straight to the heart of matters. When it comes to commentary, this man is a genius. As a novelist, he's quite good, but I think my expectations are simply too high, given his incredible skill at commentary. I found the plot a bit convoluted, with some parts less believable than I would have liked, some of the dialogue a little stilted, and much of the writing just OK. When I was about...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, historical-fiction, inspiration

I got this novel with my Kindle subscription. I enjoyed it very much. It takes place in reconstruction South, one of the darkest, ugliest times in our nation's history. Mr. Pitts deftly creates the characters who people this time. The northern abolitionist white woman, Prudence who goes to Buford Mississippi to start a school for the emancipated slaves accompanied by her black adopted sister, Bonnie. Sam Freeman an educated ex-slave who walks south to Buford to find his wife. They are greeted wi...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Dera rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great writing and detail as I said earlier. I'm going all over the place because my thoughts are over the place. I so appreciated all the effort, research and the thought process Pitts put into this book. Yes, there was a lot some of us knew but I still learned a lot. I never knew what went into going to the south and setting up a school. Apparently, if you have the means, you can just do that. I didn't hear anything about any government clearance or permits.

I have read my share of slavery and...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Tashia Brandenburg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books

At the end of the civil war slaves were free and everything was perfect... right? Follow this engaging and often heart wrenching story of three individuals that have their lives intertwined by horrific events and how each struggle with the times. Sam is a former runaway slave and had been living in the north for 15yrs. At the end of war he decides he MUST head to Mississippi to find his wife. He walks just think about that for now! WOW! Prudence is a "yankee white woman" who travels to Buford, M...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Jeanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Masterpiece.

"Freeman" begins the day the Civil war ends. Sam, a runaway slave living in Philadelphia, decides he will find his wife who he left behind in Mississippi. It has been 15 years and Sam does not know if she is dead or alive. If alive, would she want him back? He will walk to Mississippi for his answer.

Prudence is a wealthy, widowed, white woman of Boston. Her dearest friend is a black woman named Bonnie. Prudence and Bonnie were raised together as if they were sisters. Now that the w...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic book. Weapon learnedly in history that the Civil War ends but then you move to reconstruction and no one tells you what happens to those who spent their lives enslaved. Although fiction, this story does that. It is told from the perspective of three characters. I highly recommend this book.

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About Leonard Pitts Jr.

Leonard Pitts, Jr. was born and raised in Southern California and now lives in suburban Washington, DC, with his wife and children. He is a columnist for the Miami Herald and won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, in addition to many other awards. He is also the author of the novel Freeman (Agate Bolden, 2012), Before I Forget (Agate Bolden, 2009); the collection Forward From this Moment: Sel...more Leonard Pitts, Jr. was born and raised in Southern California and now lives in suburban Washington, DC, with his wife and children. He is a columnist for the Miami Herald and won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, in addition to many other awards. He is also the author of the novel Freeman (Agate Bolden, 2012), Before I Forget (Agate Bolden, 2009); the collection Forward From this Moment: Selected Columns, 1994-2009, Daily Triumphs, Tragedies, and Curiosities (Agate Bolden, 2009); and Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood (Agate Bolden, 2006).

In a career spanning 35 years, Leonard Pitts, Jr. has been a columnist, a college professor, a radio producer and a lecturer. But if you ask him to define himself, he will invariably choose one word. WRITER.

He is a writer, period.

In 2004, Pitts was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. He was also a finalist for the Pulitzer in 1992. In 1997, Pitts took first place for commentary in division four (newspapers with a circulation of over 300,000) in the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors' Ninth Annual Writing Awards competition. His recent columns on the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman have garnered much attention from his peers and readers alike. Click here to read the archive of columns by Leonard Pitts Jr.

Pitts' column, "We'll Go Forward From This Moment," an angry and defiant open letter to the terrorists, circulated the globe via the Internet. It generated upwards of 30,000 emails, and has since been set to music, reprinted in poster form, read on television by Regis Philbin and quoted by Congressman Richard Gephardt as part of the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. He is a three-time recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Award of Excellence, a five-time recipient of the Atlantic City Press Club’s National Headliners Award and a seven-time recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Green Eyeshade Award.

Leonard Pitts refuses to be predictable or to rest on his considerable laurels. He is funny when you think there's not a smidgen of humor to be found, enraged at the very moment we thought we no longer cared, and he shakes us up just when we're so certain we have it all figured out. In other words, he makes us better for having read him. What a gift. In sparse, often electric prose, Pitts challenges us to be bigger than we thought possible, and then shows us how to get there. - Connie Schulz, Cleveland Plain-Dealer(less)

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Quotes from Freeman

“Sometimes, you simply must follow your heart," she said. "No reasonable man can blame you for that." A smile. "No reasonable woman can, either.” — 3 people liked it

“When the inky blackness above shades to a deep blue and the stars lose their hard edge and begin to seem unreal, she rises, wrapping the thin sheet about herself, and steps outside into the morning chill.” — 2 people liked it

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