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Publisher’s Summary of The Price of a Child
An intimate, gripping novel of the antebellum Underground Railroad, based on the true story of a valiant Philadelphia freedwoman — the first novel we have had from the author of Black Ice, the “stunning memoir” (New York Times) of a black student’s experience at a New England prep school in the 1970S.
The Price of a Child opens in the fall of 1855. A Virginia planter is on his way to assume a diplomatic post in Nicaragua, accompanied by his cook, Ginnie, and two of her children (one of whom is his). Temporarily stranded in Philadelphia when they miss their steamboat, Ginnie makes a thrilling leap of the imagination: it is the moment she has been desperately waiting for, the moment she decides to be free. In broad daylight, under the furious gaze of her master, she walks straight out of slavery into a new life — and into a whole new set of compromising positions.
We follow Ginnie as she settles with a respectable and rambunctious black family, as she reinvents herself, christens herself Mercer Gray, dodges slave catchers, lectures far and wide in the cause of abolition, and falls in love with a man whose own ties are a formidable barrier to their happiness. And we see her agonizing all the while about the baby boy she had to leave behind on the plantation, whom she is determined to rescue.
In a remarkable feat of historical empathy, Lorene Cary has created an authentic American heroine — a woman who finds voice for the appalling loss and bitterness of her past, and who creates within herself a new humanity and an uncompromising freedom.
What I Loved About The Price of a Child
I love historical novels featuring strong women and Mercer Gray is the epitome of a strong woman.
One quote I found particularly powerful was:
“Wasn’t it bountiful and glorious grace that some of these people even live at all? That they live and dare fight back, or dare to resist, or dare to hold the line where they would be forced no more.”
Mercer is faced with the ultimate Sophie’s choice when she decides to gain freedom for herself and two of her children, knowing she must leave behind her infant son. The novel is based upon the true story of the escape from slavery by Jane Johnson in 1855, with the assistance of members of Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, led by William Still and Passmore Williamson.Those with an interest in legal matters will enjoy the legal battle that ensues. As reflected in the novel, a slave woman’s claim to her freedom resulted in precedent-setting legal cases in 19th-century Pennsylvania, as a federal judge applied the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 in a controversial way.
Oh, I also learned something very interesting about Mr. Graham’s reason to make his crackers. It was only alluded to in The Price of a Child, but it is quite sexy! I can never look at the Graham cracker the same way again. Let me know if you catch it!
Novel Destinations to Pair with The Price of a Child
Set in Philadelphia, this based-on-a-real-life novel is jam-packed with inspiration on places to visit. If I were you, I would head to Germantown, a primarily African-American neighborhood in the Northwest section of Philadelphia. There you can tour the preserved site of an Underground Railroad – The Johnson House. You might enjoy this post (including additional reading suggestions) that I wrote on The Johnson House. After your visit, schedule a stop at The Colored Girls Museum not far down the road. (Check both locations’ websites for operating days and hours as they are limited.) I know ya’ll love to read, so be sure to stop at Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books, a black-owned book store, before you leave G-town!
If your travels take you to Center City, Philadelphia, instead of the Northwest section, you can walk past the former home of William Still, the prominent abolitionist and leader in the vigilance movement (and who helped “Mercer”/aka Jane Johnson attain her freedom). Still become known as the Father of the Underground Railroad. In March 2018, the house (a private residence) at 625 S. Delhi was added to the Philadelphia Registrar of Historic Places.
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You can buy a copy of The Price of a Child on Amazon here or through your local bookseller or library.
Looking for more books by black authors or about the Underground Railroad? Check out one of these Books that Will Inform and Widen Your Views on What it is to be Black or these Books Featuring the Underground Railroad.
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