The Freedom of Jenny

by Julie Burtinshaw

Jenny Estes shares her father’s dream of freedom. But for Jenny — born into slavery in Missouri in the 1840s — freedom seems an impossible dream. She toils alongside her mother in the steaming kitchen of the Leopold plantation, trying her best to be humble and obedient so that Mrs. Leopold won’t sell her to a slave-trader. But when she's not drying dishes or mixing biscuits, Jenny finds time to practice her reading, a skill that ultimately helps the family plan their migration and realize their dream. The Estes face a formidable journey: a grueling passage from Missouri to Saltspring Island, Canada. Along the way, Jenny’s family confronts scarlet fever, racial persecution, the arduous Oregon Trail, warring native Haidas, and finally, the challenges of homesteading. Jenny’s spirit and fortitude in the face of many adversities make her a heroine all young readers can look up to. Based on a true story, this tale is a gripping account of one young girl's coming-of-age in troubling and unsettling times.

Genres: Historical Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2005

About the author

Julie Burtinshaw was born in Vancouver, BC and has lived in many different cities and towns both inside and outside of Canada. She has been an avid reader since childhood and began to keep journals and diaries from the moment she could hold a pen in her hand.

Julie is an award-winning author of seven books for young adults and teens. She wrote her first novel in 2000, and has been a full time writer since 2007. When not writing, Julie teaches creative writing workshops, content writing workshops and is an active participant in the writing community. She has served as a judge for the BC Book Awards, Red Cedar Awards, Illinois Women's Press Association Communications and mentored many emerging and upcoming writers.

Julie is a member of the following professional organizations:

• CWILL
• The BC Federation of Writers
• The Writer’s Union of Canada

Julie spent three months (2007) as the Writer In Residence at the Berton House in Dawson City and six weeks as the Writer In Residence at the Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute in East Iceland (2008).

That's because she loves to travel and write.

Reviews

[Temi Adebowale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good read! It had a lot of historical contexts although I wished it focused on the main character's feelings more. Overall, a great book!

[Susan Rocan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn into the story, which begins when jenny is born. Her life is a difficult one, being born into slavery. Her father works on a different farm and is only allowed to see his family on the weekends. It is his dream to be emancipated and he wants to bring his family to the west coast where they can be free. His owner is kinder than most and gives him the opportunity to buy his freedom but Jenny's mom is hesitant to leave her current home because of the slave-breakers who roam the countryside looking for blacks, whether they were escaped slaves or freed. Jenny's mom worried that they'd be caught and sold to someone who may not treat them as well as their current owners.

The author, Julie Burtinshaw, has done her research and immerses the reader into the mid-eighteen hundreds and drags them along with the plight of Jenny and her family. I was deeply touched by the characters and immediately empathized with their difficult lives. I highly recommend The Freedom of Jenny and I think it is the perfect book to introduce teens to the issue of slavery, emancipation, and understanding the history behind the Thirteenth Amendment to the American Constitution. As a Canadian, it is difficult to understand how one person feels they have the right to own another human, to treat them as a piece of property with less respect than they'd have for their horse, but I think Julie manages to deal with the subject using tact and compassion.

[™yourbeautifulnightmaree™ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good, it was sad at times but it always got better!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

omgosh this book is really sade you wold love a book like this one!! i know i did!!
slavery is really sad and this bool needs to be read if you think that you have a bad life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rhoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved it

[Mary-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would make a great addition to our school library or our Grade 6/7 classroom library!