Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and The Black General Gabriel

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Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and The Black General Gabriel

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 65 ratings · 22 reviews

An 1800 insurrection planned by a literate slave known as "Prosser’s Gabriel" inspires a historical novel following one extraordinary man’s life.

In a time of post-Revolutionary fervor in Richmond, Virginia, an imposing twenty-four-year-old slave named Gabriel, known for his courage and intellect, plotted a rebellion involving thousands of African- American freedom seekers...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published September 11th 2012 by Candlewick Press

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Feb 07, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

This beautiful but tragic story is based on actual events relating to the slave Gabriel, who had the temerity, in 18th Century Virginia, to dream of freedom.

The author imagines Gabriel’s interior life, based on what is known about his actual circumstances. Born into slavery on a tobacco plantation in 1776, Gabriel was taught to read and write. As he grew up and acquired the skills of a blacksmith, he was also hired out to Richmond to bring in more money for his master. There he interacted with f...more This beautiful but tragic story is based on actual events relating to the slave Gabriel, who had the temerity, in 18th Century Virginia, to dream of freedom.

The author imagines Gabriel’s interior life, based on what is known about his actual circumstances. Born into slavery on a tobacco plantation in 1776, Gabriel was taught to read and write. As he grew up and acquired the skills of a blacksmith, he was also hired out to Richmond to bring in more money for his master. There he interacted with free blacks and white laborers and heard not only the ideas of freedom and equality touted by the American Revolution, but of the successful uprising in Saint Domingue led by black slaves that culminated in the end of slavery there. Why, he asked, couldn’t that happen in America?

He recruited others, and worked on obtaining weapons. Their rebellion was scheduled to start August 30, 1800. Not only did a torrential rain intervene, but two slaves confessed the plan to their masters. Many of the conspirators were caught, some were executed, and some were exiled to other states. A rare few were pardoned. Gabriel of course was not among them, and was hanged on October 10.

Ms. Amateau tries to recreate not only Gabriel’s thoughts during his life, but the reactions of his mother and later his wife, Nanny, to the exceptional man that Gabriel grew up to be. Nanny, as courageous as her husband, also participated in the planning for the rebellion. The author includes reproductions, interspersed throughout the text, of documents from the time relating to Gabriel’s rebellion, capture, sentencing, and execution.

Evaluation: The plotline of this book and of Gabriel’s true story were only bearable for me because, unlike a movie or television production, there are no visuals of violence, and no actual faces I could attach to those who would perpetuate slavery (with the notable exception of James Monroe, then Governor of Virginia). It is meant to be a book you can bear, and yet – it is hard. The prose is lovely, and explicit evils of slavery are kept to a minimum, but the pain and awfulness of slavery cannot be hidden. Nor should it be! It is a real enough story, and should be told; should be borne. Research notes are appended to the text.

While this book is being marketed as Middle Grade, I didn’t see any reason why it could not also or alternatively be labeled Young Adult or Adult.

Highly recommended!

Note: On August 30, 2007 Governor Tim Kane informally pardoned Gabriel, saying that his motivation had been "his devotion to the ideals of the American revolution — it was worth risking death to secure liberty."
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Jan 26, 2013 Diane Kistner rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure this book is well placed in the Teen category, ages 12 and up. I know teens know more about sex these days than I did growing up, but many allusions to the treatment of female slaves during the period are downright confusing because they are so obliquely referenced. Perhaps as fodder for discussion in a class that goes into more particulars about slave life, it would have more meaning. As a historical novel, however, I found it to be lacking, although the inclusion of actual adverti...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Arlena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, a-good-book, adult-read, ebooks, my-reviews, mystery

Author: Gigi Amateau
Published By: Candlewick Press
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4

Review:

"Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and The Black General Gabriel was really some read for me. As I continued my read I wondered if I could make it through it and I did. This author did a wonderful job with this storyline. I will say she did a great job with all the characters that really added much to "Come August, Come Freedom. I felt that this w...more

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Sep 24, 2012 The Rusty Key rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Rusty Key Writer: Jordan B. Nielsen

Recommended for: Ages 13 and Up for frank depictions of the brutality of slavery including physical violence, lynchings and suggestions of rape and sexual abuse.

One Word Summary: Wrenching.

With Come August, Come Freedom, Gigi Amateau delivers a heart rendering piece of historical fiction that breathes life into this true tale in a way that a textbook never could. The story of Gabriel and his slave uprising, while certainly not a fun read, is made...more Reviewed by Rusty Key Writer: Jordan B. Nielsen

Recommended for: Ages 13 and Up for frank depictions of the brutality of slavery including physical violence, lynchings and suggestions of rape and sexual abuse.

One Word Summary: Wrenching.

With Come August, Come Freedom, Gigi Amateau delivers a heart rendering piece of historical fiction that breathes life into this true tale in a way that a textbook never could. The story of Gabriel and his slave uprising, while certainly not a fun read, is made vital through Amateau’s infusion of lyrical prose and delicate weaving of wide lens historical awareness and micro-focused personal struggle.

Gabriel was born a slave on a Virginia tobacco plantation in the same year America gained its independence. When Gabriel was very young, his father did a little too much talking about the God-given right to freedom for the taste of his owner, Thomas Prosser, and as a result was taken from their home one night by Prosser’s men and murdered. While Gabriel was too young to understand what was happening at the time, his mother was left hollowed by the horror of this all too common travesty. But where Thomas Prosser showed no mercy, his wife had a softer heart and allowed young Gabriel to play with her own son, Thomas Henry, and even taught the boy to read and write.

Gabriel’s sheltering didn’t last long though as he, his mother and brothers routinely fell victim to unspeakable violence at the hands of their master throughout his adolescence. While still not yet a teenager, Prosser sent Gabriel and his older brother to Richmond to apprentice with a local blacksmith named Jacob Kent to expand his slave’s value. But, unwittingly, Prosser’s action sets Gabriel on course to expand his own awareness and desire for freedom. In Richmond under the tutelage of the (relievingly) compassionate, boisterous Jacob, Gabriel finds a passion and a talent for forging iron, a practice that allows him to ruminate on the world around him. Richmond, being a major port at the time, drew many progressive thinking patriots to its streets, inspired by the victory of the Americans over the British and now turning their gaze to the great oppression of the slaves.

After seven years in the city, Gabriel returns to Prosser’s plantation, now very much a man. At a communal gathering of slaves from the neighboring farms, Gabriel meets Nanny, a soulful, no-nonsense sophisticate who shares his boldness and uncompromising desire for liberty. While it’s Gabriel’s wish to work tirelessly at his trade to earn enough money to one day buy Nanny’s freedom, the task quickly becomes impossible through a series of grave injustices and betrayals. It is clear to the star-crossed pair that for their love to have a chance, they must dedicated themselves wholly to the cause of their people’s emancipation, even if it means paying the ultimate price. Gabriel, a natural leader with his steady eloquence, his skills and his connections to powerful sympathizers is ready to organize an uprising that would topple Richmond and send a message to the new country.

I had not heard the story of Gabriel before (or maybe had but long since forgotten it), but anyone with a rough grasp on the history of emancipation in this country can figure out that a slave uprising in the late 1700s can’t end well. And indeed, the last few pages of Come August, Come Freedom are enough to provoke a flood of tears, as much for their tremulous rays of dogged hope and optimism as for their terrible heartbreak. That balance, the pull between the inhuman horrors of slavery and the inquenchable, soaring triumph of the human spirit is the greatest strength of this work. What Amateau clearly realized is that, within Gabriel’s individual story, is the whole story. The plot points of Come August echo the larger, unshakable core of the quest for freedom: that in spite of the worst degradations, with no reason to do so, the slaves were still able to love, yearn and dream.

Though beautiful and moving, Come August is surely no one’s idea of a pleasurable read with its stomach turning violence and roiling injustices, but it is a deeply informative one. Amateau’s work would fit perfectly in a high school history curriculum on civil rights, black history, or the early days of America. The themes, as well as the violence, would be best digested in a classroom setting, both as a facilitator for discussion, and as a reminder that all these historical figures were actual people with more to them than just dates and battle names. Amateau may have invented dialog and details to flesh out the story but in doing so has given Come August a personal resonance that is as truthful as the many real newspaper clipping she has included.

A poetic, difficult and devastating work, Come August, Come Freedom sheds light onto an under-told story of American history that is as tender as it is fearless, as far reaching as it is focused. Gabriel may not have lived to see his people freed, but at last, his contribution to the cause has been given wings.

For more reviews, author interviews, reading lists and articles from The Rusty Key, visit us at www.therustykey.com (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars

In 1800, in Richmond, Virginia, a twenty-four-year-old literate slave known as Prosser’s Gabriel planned an insurrection involving thousands of African-Americans freedom seekers. The rebellion did not succeed – a mixture of bad weather and betrayal prevented the revolt from even starting – and Gabriel, as well as a few of his co-conspirators, was executed. Come August, Come Freedom was inspired by this moment in history and is a reimagining of Gabriel’s early life as well as his motivations base...more In 1800, in Richmond, Virginia, a twenty-four-year-old literate slave known as Prosser’s Gabriel planned an insurrection involving thousands of African-Americans freedom seekers. The rebellion did not succeed – a mixture of bad weather and betrayal prevented the revolt from even starting – and Gabriel, as well as a few of his co-conspirators, was executed. Come August, Come Freedom was inspired by this moment in history and is a reimagining of Gabriel’s early life as well as his motivations based on historical evidence and the extensive trial documents available. Here, Gigi Amateau imagines his private life and intersperses the story with facsimiles of historical documents.

Her own motivation for writing this story is simple:

By immersing myself in the history and documents related to Gabriel, I eventually realized that if Gabriel’s story is to be lifted up as an essential American story, then we all must tell this story over and over again so that Gabriel’s story takes its place in our canon of defining moments. Many founding heroes, sheroes, and patriots have become part of America’s collective story. Tales of such people teach us something and exemplify the qualities we admire in our great citizens. Gabriel’s Rebellion reveals so much of the thinking of our leaders in the early days of America, the rampant liberty fever that was worldwide by 1800, and how enslaved people were engaged in the pursuit of freedom and the call to end to slavery long before the Civil War broke out. To me, Gabriel and Nan’s story ought to join our larger American story of freedom-loving patriots who lived and sacrificed for the cause of our liberty.

As such, Come August, Come Freedom succeeds and surpasses what it set out to do – Gabriel and his wife Nanny indeed come to life as heroic freedom fighters. It presents Gabriel as a man of his time, immersed in the ideas of freedom circulating both within America (in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War) and from abroad (in Haiti, black slaves had just fought for their freedom – and won). The book also presents an interesting context for this particular rebellion and how it could have possibly come to be in terms of its organising. At that particular point in time in Virginia, many slaves had a certain degree of mobility: slaves from different plantations were allowed to assemble every Sunday, slaves could be hired out (a way for owners to make some extra money, but also afforded the slaves to save money for themselves and possibly buy their own eventual freedom). Also, some slaves were literate. These different opportunities meant that slaves, like Gabriel, could meet and plan, organizing their rebellion. After the failed uprising, however, Virginia passed new laws that forbade those ‘freedoms’ to prevent future rebellions.

It is known that Gabriel, the historical figure and protagonist of this book, was literate and that he was also a skilled blacksmith. Amateau posits the idea that he would have trained in the city of Richmond where he would have come to hear revolutionary ideas that would fuel his dream of freedom with hope.

Beyond the research behind the book, there is the beautiful, almost poetic writing and the realistic depiction of characters. The book’s opening immediately sets the tone, beginning on a Sunday morning as Gabriel’s ma (one of the few invented characters in the text, as we know nothing about his mother) prepares to nurse her own child after spending the whole week first feeding her master’s son Henry, Gabriel’s milk brother:

She stretched out long in the grass and nursed her six-month-old son
without interruption. After a while, Gabriel opened his walnut eyes, and Ma gave him her other breast. On some Sundays, he got his fair share. Ma stroked Gabriel’s troubled brow.

“Eat all you like, child. Take what’s yours.”

Although this is a thoroughly invented scene that employs the author’s poetic license, the core idea of awareness about the utterly ugly reality of slavery, conveyed in this scene, is one that pervades the entire book; it is a reality that we can imagine informed Gabriel’s real life. It is perfectly, horrifically, conceivable that Gabriel’s experiences growing up on the plantation where his family and friends lived and suffered, where he witnessed families being torn apart with the sale of a son or wife to a different estate, also made a huge impact. There is no “good, benevolent master” here, on the account that there is no such a thing as a “good” owner of slaves. There is no happy slave either – although there are those slaves who, hopeless, have accepted their lot in life.

The story here is both beautiful and heartbreaking. This is a book for children and I appreciated that it doesn’t shy away from the brutality and the truth of slavery at all. One of the most impacting scenes is Nan’s memories of the humiliating moment when she was up for sale in Richmond, dehumanised and treated like a broodmare.

In terms of the actual writing and plotting of the book, Come August, Come Freedom is a bit vacillating and episodic – perhaps due to the lack of factual information. It takes several liberties when it comes to exploring the possible internal motivations for Gabriel’s rebellions and with his personal life, and spends little time on the actual organisation of the upraising. That said, I understand the choice to reflect the man rather than the leader.

A huge part of the book depicts Gabriel’s love for his wife Nanny, and this is a beautiful love story. An even greater part of the book depicts their shared love for the idea of freedom. And that’s the most beautiful thing of all. (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american, slavery, south

I was disappointed in this historical fiction novel which deals with a fascinating and little-known story of an actual slave revolt in 1800 in the United States. The story was not as suspenseful and engrossing as I thought it could have been. It should have been a riveting story given the historical facts but somehow the author did not get us that engaged with the characters. I did like how she included original source documents in the text, which provides some historical context, but it was dif...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-studies, young-adult

I really loved this book! I'm normally not a fan of historical fiction, but this was exceptional. I would definitely recommend it to a 6-8 grader, however, high school and adults will enjoy it as well. Being from the Richmond area, it was especially great to know the places discussed in the book, and knowing Young's Spring is where the water ponds are in Bryan Park. One of the "streets" in Bryan Park is named Gabriel Prosser's Way. I was very lucky to have attended an outdoor play in BP a few ye...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Bookworm1858 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, historical-fiction, read-2012, ya-read

While selecting books to read, I was intrigued to see that this was historical fiction set in 1800 and focusing on a slave revolt in Virginia, drawing inspiration from authentic primary sources to tell a moving story.

As I said, I loved the synopsis for this book and thought it was right up my alley as a student of American history. This wasn't my time period and I had never heard of this particular planned slave rebellion inspired by the Haitian revolution. Unfortunately I had a lot of trouble w...more

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Sep 29, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, historical-fiction, multicultural, for-review

I am not as up on Black history or even multicultural history as I should be, and that is a tragedy because history fascinates me and it’s not all dead white dudes. When a book about black history crosses my radar, especially a historical fiction young adult book, I try to get my hands on it and read it. I’ve got a pretty powerful platform to promote books about diversity and multicultural books, and so I use it. Thus, when Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows And The Black Genera...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Alma Ramos-McDermott rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story of Gabriel, a slave born in 1777, is told for the first time in Amateau’s historical fiction tale of his life. Using imagined thoughts, along with primary source documents of the period. Amateau tells of slave life on a Virginia plantation during the height of the Revolutionary War.

Read the rest of my review on my blog "Should I read it or not?": http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.c...

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Oct 21, 2012 Mary Farrell rated it 4 of 5 stars

The writing is poetic and beautiful, the research appears highly credible and thorough and does a great job showing the lives of slaves and the injustice of slavery. The love between Gabriel & Nanny's is exquisite and haunting. Even the title is impressive! I really liked it, but I did not love it. It did not work for me as fiction. Too sketchy in places, and I felt Gabriel was too old for the main character of a novel for young people.

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Dec 24, 2012 Rosemary rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone!

I love this book for so many reasons: I've always been interested in the revolutionary time period, and the author does a masterful job of slipping you right down in that place in history. The characters really come alive; I fell in love with Gabriel, and loved that he was a well educated slave with fire in his belly. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical books that take you far back in time but drive right to the heart, since the heart is timeless.

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May 17, 2013 Susann Cokal rated it 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful book about a significant and almost legendary event in American history. Amateau takes legend back into truth and shows us the people at the heart of one of the most significant slave uprisings ever. And she brings the era to life in a way I've seen no other writer do.

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Aug 06, 2012 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was a disappointment. The idea of writing from the POV of a leader of one of the failed slave insurrections was an excellent one, with a great deal of promise. The writing was uneven and often confusing. I did like the author's use of original documents.

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Sep 17, 2012 Laura Phelps rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: possiblemsba2012

A fascinating subject, I wanted to love this book. And I did love the characters. But the uneven pacing (some events were told in great detail, but then years would pass in a paragraph) made this book alternately drag and then race by. Amateau succeeded in making me want to know more, however, about this amazing historical figure, and I suspect that most young readers will feel the same.

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Mar 28, 2013 nicki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not the best historical fiction. But true to the attitudes of the time. Wished for more action though, a little revenge would have been nice, but alas history didn't have it that way.

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Oct 22, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, realistic, young-adult

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Jun 28, 2012 Ms. Yockey marked it as to-read

Shelves: civil-war

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Nov 07, 2012 Dutchbaby marked it as to-read

Shelves: selling-it-2013

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Nov 16, 2012 Hilary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Powerful historical fiction regarding an event I knew nothing about. In 1800, Gabriel, a slave in Virginia organized and led thousands of other slaves on an ill-fated rebellion. The author did extensive research and her book is enhanced showing documents and newspaper articles. This YA book would be an excellent choice for teachers to use as a companion source when studying events leading to the Civil War and African American history.

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Nov 05, 2012 Jamila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, african-descent, historical-fiction, slavery, south, men-boys

I really like this book, though I am abandoning it halfway through. It is too heavy for me right now. Gigi Amateau's writing is powerful and moving. The novel would be a great addition to a middle/high school unit. Gabriel Prosser is a historical figure worth learning more about.

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Mar 24, 2013 Kristin Swenson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stirring, dramatic historical novel written with sensitivity and respect. Gabriel is an inspiration.

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Shelves: reading-olympic-2013

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Apr 22, 2013 Nayla rated it 3 of 5 stars

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About Gigi Amateau

Gigi Amateau was born in northeastern Mississippi and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia, just outside of Richmond. Her first young adult novel, Claiming Georgia Tate (Candlewick Press, 2005), described as “a moving first offering” by School Library Journal, was selected as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, Voice of Youth Advocates Review Editor’s Choice, and a Book Sense Summer Pic...more

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