Ann Redfield is destined to follow her brother Jesse through life – two years behind him – all the way. Jesse is a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and Ann follows him there as well. Quakers filled with a conviction as hard as Pennsylvania limestone that slavery is an abomination to be resisted with any means available, the Redfield brother and sister lie, sneak, masquerade and defy their way past would-be enforcers of the hated Fugitive Slave Law. Their activities inevitably lead to complicated relationships with other Quakers, pro-slavery neighbors and the fugitives themselves. When Jesse returns from a run with a deadly fever, accompanied by a fugitive, Josiah, who is also sick and close to death, Ann nurses both back to health. But precious time is lost, and Josiah, too weak for winter travel, stays on at Redfield Farm where Ann becomes his teacher, friend and confidant. When grave disappointment disrupts her life, Ann turns to Josiah for comfort, and comfort leads to intimacy. The result, both poignant and inspiring, leads to a life-long devotion to one another and their cause. Author Judith Redline Coopey brings the Underground Railroad alive, giving us characters to remember — both real and compassionate, and conflict to explore — when belief in pacifism clashes with dedication to a cause where violence often rules the day.
Read the Novel then visit an actual site of the Underground Railroad:
If you are in Pennsylvania, specifically the northwest neighborhood of Germantown, you’ll want to pair this novel about the Underground Railroad with a visit to the Johnson House. Philadelphia, especially its Germantown section, was a center of the 19th-century American movement to abolish slavery and the Johnson House was one of the key sites of that movement. Germantown is home to historic Quaker meetinghouses as well as the Johnson House, the only fully intact Underground Railroad location in Pennsylvania. If the weather is agreeable, after you visit the Johnson House, take this route for a walking tour of Germantown to see the incredible murals depicting the diversity of the neighborhood.
