This week has been a mad one. Close to the start of the Christmas period, we found out that Mum would be having a thyroidectomy on Candlemas (the final day of the Christmas season). Of course, this was not enough to spoil Christmas. As readers of this blog are no doubt aware, Christmas happens in a big way in this house. But when the day finally arrived it was nonetheless met with, if not fear, definite nervousness. I'm pleased to say that the procedure seems to have been a great success! And wouldn't it have been? Thyroid treatment has been developing for over four thousand years. You know me - somewhat obsessed with putting doctors, nurses, physicians and surgeons in my historical fiction - I made a (very brief) wander into the realms of researching the topic. I was surprised by the results. The earliest I could find a reference to treatments for thyroid issues (in this instance a goitre) came in 2697BC, when the legendary Yellow Emperor recorded the use of seaweed in treati...
I've always been interested in Americana, although that comes in waves, so occasionally I'll be poring over the biographies of various presidents and then the following week my fascination has waned completely. It does mean that I was reasonably familiar with the Civil War background of the book, which made me very enthusiastic to read it.
It is grounded in American history - and of course it should be: Freedom for Me is inspired by the true story of a young Chinese man who signed up to fight for the north in the American Civil War. More than complex military strategy or groundbreaking historical moments, this is the story of one boy's decision to fight, and how his reasons for fighting mature and develop over time.
I loved reading about how Thomas, the main character, began to learn about himself in the context of others. His closest relationship is with his brother, but he develops deep and meaningful friendships with his brothers-in-arms and with an runaway slave, Sam. The characters were well-developed and rounded, and I found it fascinating how Thomas became closer to - the quite frankly loathsome - Henry as time went by.
Character development drives this story and, despite it being set in the 1860s, young people reading it today will find that it still resonates. This is the story of learning who you are and what can drive you to do incredible things. But it's also the story of how racism seeps into everyday life and just what a complex issue it really is.
Occasionally the plotline was predictable (or maybe I should just own-up to having read so many of these brothers-in-arms stories that I can point to a character from the first time you meet them and say "yep, they're not making it to the end of the book") but this doesn't in any way hamper the enjoyment of Freedom For Me. If I had to mention one little niggle, it would be the use of "ya" instead of "you" - absolutely fine but it was occasionally inconsistent. Still, not enough to spoil the enjoyment of what is a lovely but challenging read.
In summary, book which does justice to the many individuals who fought in the American Civil War, and which addresses friendship and camaraderie in a way which never shies away from big issues.
Blurb
Civil War is raging in America and fifteen-year-old Thomas Beck doesn’t quite fit in. He’s neither black nor white, slave nor free, and yet, Thomas dreams of becoming a Yankee and joining the fight for freedom. After successfully sneaking into the Union Army, Thomas gets his wish, but he’s a Chinese Yankee—different in looks and hairstyle, but not in heart. Finding himself unwelcome by either blue or gray, Thomas forms an unlikely friendship with a runaway slave as the fight moves toward a pivotal moment in Gettysburg.
Freedom for Me is a historical novel based on a real Chinese Yankee, one of only a few who served in the American Civil War. Children’s Literary Classics award winner for coming-of-age and historical fiction and a Skipping Stones honoree for multicultural teen fiction.
You can find the book on Amazon
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