The Other Side of Free

by Krista Russell

Overview

It is 1739. Young Jem has been rescued from slavery and finds himself at Fort Mose, a settlement in Florida run by the Spanish. He is in the custody of an ornery and damaged woman named Phaedra, who dictates his every move. When Jem sets out to break free of her will, an adventure begins in which Jem saves a baby owl, a pair of runaway slaves, and, eventually, maybe all the residents of Fort Mose.

While Jem and the other characters are fictitious, the story is based on historical record. Fort Mose was the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. In 1994 the site was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2009, the National Park Service named Fort Mose a precursor site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561457106
Publisher:	Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.
Publication date:	10/01/2013
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

Editorial Reviews

A thoughtful, historical novel about resistance to oppression, The Other Side Of Free takes place in 1739 Florida. Thirteen-year-old Jem has been sent away from home by his aunt for protection from their brutal slave-owner. Now in the colony of Fort Mose, near St. Augustine, Jem and other formerly enslaved people are technically free because they have sworn loyalty to Spain. Jem spends his time doing chores, training a rescued owl named Owen, and carving whistles and atlatls for throwing spears. Adventure finds Jem when he meets fugitive slaves seeking safe haven. When English colonists attack, everyone's survival is in doubt. Brave Jem displays heroism in contributing to the outcome of a major battle. The Other Side Of Free develops enduring themes, such as the necessity of freedom, love of family, and power of storytelling. Russell's beautiful writing style evokes the Florida setting and offers wise touches, such as the subversive folktales of Brother Rabbit and the characterization of a trader, Reynard, who is clever like a fox. Russell deserves credit for addressing complex issues such as colonial conflicts, land ownership, and race relations in the early eighteenth century. It is a major contribution to have a novel about Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free African settlement within what becomes the United States. An author's note at the end discusses historical contexts. Reviewer: Amy Cummins

VOYA - Amy Cummins

This multifaceted and suspenseful historical adventure set in 1739 brings history to life. Although the characters are fictitious, the story is based on historical record. Fort Mose, near St. Augustine, Florida, was the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. A map titled “The Southeastern Coast of America—1739-1740” shows the location of St. Augustine. A second map, “Plan of the Town and Harbor of St. Augustine and Surroundings—1739-1740,” depicts the location of Fort Mose. When young Jem is rescued from slavery, he finds himself in this Spanish-run settlement in Florida. The Spanish promised freedom to fugitive slaves in exchange for their loyalty and commitment to help fight the English. After Jem escapes from his difficult custodian, he sees a chance for adventure and independence. This book will especially heighten awareness of slavery, and the plight of those who were slaves. It should be in all school libraries as a history resource for this era. Reviewer: Annie Laura Smith; Ages 10 to 14.

Children's Literature - Annie Laura Smith

01/01/2014
Gr 4–6—A stern, exacting woman named Phaedra fosters 13-year-old Jem in Fort Mose, a Spanish enclave for escaped slaves in 18th- century Florida. In exchange for the protection of the Spanish government, the adult inhabitants of Fort Mose pledge to abandon traditional modes of belief and convert to Catholicism. The men must also join a militia to defend the neighboring settlement against the English. Their military commitment takes on terrifying import following the 1739 Stono slave rebellion. Exasperatingly positioned between childhood and maturity, Jem aches to evade Phaedra's belittling supervision and take up arms, but he fails to prove his intelligence and trustworthiness to the community leaders. Russell layers period and cultural details with a historian's enthusiasm, populating the story with Native American communities, Spanish colonists, Fort Mose refugees, and a French trader. Mining such rich and little-known material offers inherent value to library shelves and school curricula but Russell possibly attempts to pack too much into one book, including several minor mysteries and Jem's devoted rearing of a injured owlet. Though the characterization of Jem wobbles according to the dictates of subplots, the secondary figures retain more solidity; Phaedra in particular evinces an acerbic charm. When the British lay siege to the Spanish holdings, Russell successfully elevates the tension and sheds light on this fascinating moment in history. Readers will be immersed in the suspenseful intrigue and Jem's battle for freedom.—Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY

School Library Journal

2013-09-15
Russell illuminates a little-known piece of American history in this well-researched novel for middle-grade readers. When Aunt Winnie--not a blood relation but the only family Jem has ever known--sends him away from Charles Town with a strange conjure-woman named Phaedra, the 13-year-old is confused and resentful. It's 1739; Florida is held by England's sworn enemy Spain. The Spanish governor at St. Augustine offers freedom, support and baptism into the Catholic faith to any escaped slave who vows to fight the English, but Phaedra insists Jem is too young to join the militia or take a vow. Instead, he spends his days running errands for Phaedra in the forests and marshlands around Fort Mose, an earthwork fort built and staffed by the ex-slave militia, wishing for more manly duties. Recent escapees bring news of a violent slave rebellion along the Stono River; the English blame the Spanish and declare war. The unfamiliar but engrossing topic and fast-paced action will keep readers interested. Phaedra and other members of the colony are well-drawn, but Jem's characterization wobbles; his resentment, coming as it does after his rescue from near-certain death at the hands of his master, seems ill-placed. Still, a welcome and well-written work of history. (Historical fiction. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews