Freedom's Call

by Douglas Cornelius

Just moments earlier, the steamboat at Brady's command had rounded the Mississippi river-bend effortlessly. But then a sudden explosion causes fourteen-year-old Brady to fail his cub-pilot test, shattering his dream. What's more, the explosion takes the life of a family member, and now revenge grabs hold of Brady's heart. He blames a black deck hand, William Wells Brown, who flees and becomes a fugitive slave.Brady reluctantly takes an apprentice job for abolitionist newspaperman Elijah Lovejoy. Would Lovejoy's Christian message soften Brady's heart? Or would his fondness for mixed-race office mate Charlotte? Brady remains conflicted, and spirals to a new low.But when an angry mob seizes Lovejoy's printing press and dumps it in the river, Brady is called to escort a new press via steamboat along the river that Mark Twain would make famous. Danger lurks around every bend, whether from river pirates or pro-slavery thugs.When Lovejoy's fate is in the hands of an enraged mob, will Brady become more than a champion of freedom of the press? Will he ever meet up with Brown again? What role will Charlotte play?
Based on true stories featuring the lives of two noted figures of the pre-Civil War Elijah Lovejoy, Christian newspaper abolitionist, whom Lincoln knew, and William Wells Brown, a fugitive slave who became a famous author documenting the plight of the slaves.

183 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Faith]

Based on true life stories, Freedom's Call is a story of convictions and coming of age in the years prior to the Civil War.

Brady Scott finds his dreams dashed in a horrible accident that takes the life of his mother, leaving him bent on revenge and bitter. He takes a job working for Elijah Lovejoy, an abolitionist writer and publisher, in order to bide his time searching for the right opportunity to pursue his dreams.

A quick read, this book brings to life years leading up to the Civil War and the attitudes of the people living in that time. I loved how this book wasn't afraid to talk about those issues, and conflicts in a realistic and reasonable way, showing how the current events and the work of Mr. Lovejoy challenged people to think of things that they might not have questioned before.

Brady is a great protagonist, and I loved his arc throughout the course of the book. Charlotte is an intelligent and industrious young woman, and I enjoyed her friendship with Brady. A story of growth, faith and forgiveness, that will appeal to adults as well as teen to middle grade readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kendra Neal]

Freedom's Call by Douglas Cornelius is a Pre-Cival War area period book. It is Historical Fiction, but based on True Stories of 2 famous figures from that time Period.

Brady Scott loses his mother in a tragic accident. He is alone and feeling really sad about losing his mother. He meets Elijah Lovejoy and he takes a job working for him. Mr. Lovejoy is a Writer and Publisher, but that is not his dream job. Mr. Lovejoy is also a Christian and the relationship between Brady, who is 14, and Mr. Lovejoy seems to be strengthening.
Brady is also learning to be more trusting of people while working with Mr. Lovejoy. Mr. Lovejoy is under attack from a local mob and Brady just might be the one to save him. He is also taking a liking to his office mate, Charlotte, who is of mixed race. During the times of Pre-Cival war, mixed relationships were taboo. Would he pursue a relationship with her? Will he save Mr. Lovejoy?

I really enjoyed reading this book. Though it is Fictional, it is based on True Stories and people. I plan to use this as a Read Aloud with my Teenage boys in our Homeschool. I feel the book is a REALLY good book for Middle School and Teenagers. I myself learned quite about about the Time Period in this book.

[Connie Hill]

I read this book with my 9 year old son, who suddenly has taken a huge interest in history. This book is set in the years prior to the Civil War. Which in my opinion as a historian, are important years. The years prior to the Civil War were foundational. It helps to understand why the War happened.

In this book, we meet Brady Scott. He lost his mother in a tragic accident. Not only does the accident leave him an orphan, it leaves him VERY bitter. He ends up meeting Elijah Lovejoy, who is a writer and publisher. He is an abolitionist writer. Brady ends up working for Elijah. Brady, because of his hurt and bitterness has a hard time trusting people. I loved watching this change while working for Elijah.

When Elijah is attacked by an angry mob - can Brady save him?

This book was a great read. It was historically accurate and based on true stories. My 9 year old and I had some great conversations about this book. I love books that we can learn from.

I received a copy of this book through the JustRead Publicity Tours -- all thoughts are my own.