Linda Goodman, children’s buyer at Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor, Mich., has forged a bond with a fall historical novel she’s enjoying selling.
Forge, Anderson’s sequel to Chains, continues the story of two remarkable young people, Curzon and Isabel, slaves during America’s Revolutionary War. The narrator, 15-year-old Curzon, poses as a free black man and joins the Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1777, strongly believing in taking a stand against the British Army and winning freedom for his nation and for people of all races. When he’s discovered by his former master, he is again forced to serve as a slave, caring for the needs of officers. He is reunited with Isabel, who has also been recaptured and is now forced to wear an iron collar around her neck. They soon begin cautiously planning their escape.
Forge is difficult to put down. The very compelling story, combined with authentic details of this era in our nation’s history, has made it an extremely popular novel among teachers, and it is selling well for classroom study. Many middle schoolers, however, who read Chains in the classroom, are not waiting to have Forge assigned, but are requesting it for their own reading pleasure. I am recommending it to parents looking for well written, realistic historical fiction with an engaging story line.
