by Robert Sadler and Marie Chapian 

A Nonfiction, 1975 by Baker Publishing Group, 299 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• Some distance between the narrator and the story. The story itself is TRUE but, perhaps, something is lost in retelling through an author. It somehow feels distant at times.
• Some weird jumps in time. The story isn’t always contiguous. We’ll be talking about one thing and then quickly jump to something completely different on the very same page. Sometimes we come back, sometimes we don’t.
• Phonetic spelling. It’s not my favorite tool, but it works for this story because it has a purpose. 

What I Did Like:

• Raw, real, and powerful. The story is emotional and shocking. 
• Clear about its point without needing to lay it out. You understand this story is about politics, equality, and religion without the author needing to specifically repeat a message. It’s embedded.
• Robert is fascinating. He lived an amazing life and did amazing things. Above all that, he was an amazingly forgiving person. He is the reason this story is memorable.

Who Should Read This One:

• History buffs, memoir fans, or anyone wanting to learn more about post emancipation illegal slavery.

My Rating: 4 Stars