"Written with deft, lucid prose, this book is a reminder of why lightly fictionalized biography is a marvelous genre. . . . Free Boy provides richly detailed settings and imagined conversations (based on documented events) that bring the story to life."
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Micol Ostow, Readergirlz
"Two U. S. historians have shed new light on a little-known but powerful story . . ."
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Randy Boswell, Vancouver Sun
"A must-read for anyone interested in history of the Northwest, especially Olympia, Wash., and the history of slavery."
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Rachel Bennett, Idaho Statesman
"The recounting of his escape aboard a steamer, capture, and eventual freedom in Canada are captivating, as are the italicized, dramatized scenes . . . admirable primary-source detective work results in a context-rich story that shines a light on racial attitudes and Civil War politics in pre-statehood Washington."
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Publishers Weekly, February 2013
"An intriguing piece of scholarship . . ."
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Kirkus Reviews