Unbound

Written in clipped verse, Burg’s third novel, after All the Broken Pieces and Serafina’s Promise, follows nine-year-old Grace, who is called up from the slave cabins to work in the Big House. Grace’s mother warns her to keep her eyes down and her mouth shut, but her youth and strong sense of morality and fairness make it difficult to bite her tongue: “I wonder why/ Master n the Missus/ get to eat right early/ in the morning/ n them what’s been workin/ got to wait till/ the midday bell.” When Grace talks back to the Missus, causing her mother and younger brothers to be sent to the auction block, Grace and her family flee the plantation and go deep, seeking refuge in the Great Dismal Swamp. Based on historical events and an actual refuge for escaped slaves, the family’s journey through the swamp is harrowing, yet Burg’s colloquial verse gives Grace a strong, distinct voice, allowing her emotion and determination to shine. Grace’s story of familial love, community, and hope is a moving, sensitive read. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Sept.)