Escape from Slavery

American Adventure #16

by Norma Jean Lutz

In nineteenth-century Cincinnati, fourteen-year-old Tim Allerton finds his anti-slavery views tested when he and his younger sister Pam save the life of a slave baby whose mother has recently been murdered.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Christian, Historical

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Norma Jean Lutz’s writing career began when she enrolled in a writing correspondence course. Since then, she has had over 250 short stories and articles published in both secular and Christian publications. The full-time writer is also the author of over 50 published books under her own name and many ghostwritten books. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Affair de Coeur, Coffee Time Romance, Romance Reader at Heart, and The Romance Studio magazines, and her short fiction has garnered a number of first prizes in local writing contests.

Norma Jean is the founder of the Professionalism In Writing School, which was held annually in Tulsa for fourteen years. This writers' conference, which closed its doors in 1996, gave many writers their start in the publishing world.

A gifted teacher, Norma Jean has taught a variety of writing courses at local colleges and community schools, and is a frequent speaker at writers' seminars around the country. For eight years, she taught on staff for the Institute of Children's Literature. She has served as artist-in-residence at grade schools, and for two years taught a staff development workshop for language arts teachers in schools in Northeastern Oklahoma.

As co-host for the Tulsa KNYD Road Show, she shared the microphone with Kim Spence to present the Road Show Book Club, a feature presented by the station for more than a year. She has also appeared in numerous interviews on KDOR-TV.

Norma Jean has brought out past out-of-print novels to create a new series. These teen novels (which she likes to call "Clean Teen Reads") were published in the 1980s and 90s, yet the story lines are timeless. Sporting new titles and new book covers, these books will become part of the "Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection" series.

Her newest teen offering is Brought to You By the Color Drab. A story of a young man living in the ghetto who seemingly was born in the wrong place in the wrong time. This is a story of redemption!

Reviews

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though written for middle-grade readers, I found this book riveting. The story line is creative and the writing superlative. I was born in the North, but educated in east Tennessee in the early fifties when segregation was still the rule. That helped shape my interest in this title. I don't know where I got the book, but somehow it landed on one of my bookshelves, but I had never read it.

Hope Irvin Marston, author of THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE.

[C]

My name is Tim Allerton. I live in Cincinnati with my parents and younger sister Pamela. In the year of 1829, my sister and I had a life-changing experience. Until then, Pam had always believed that slaves are treated well, just like family. Then, while we were staying at a relative's house for a few days, we found out that Aunt Betsy and Uncle Andrew were helping runaway slaves.

[Daniel Gaul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look at the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement (vs pro-slavery) in the mid-1800s; another of my favorites from the series!

[Marius B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previously in the series: Trouble on the Ohio River (#15)

Set in the years 1828 and '29, Escape from Slavery chronicles the journey of the Allerton family,
-of their struggles with the reality of slavery in their country
-and with the decision of whether or not to fight for what they believe in at personal cost.

You follow the son of Richard Allerton (the Lankford's family friend) - Timothy (14) - who struggles with wanting to be an attorney in spite of his father pushing him to one day take over Lankford and Allerton Shipbuilding. Tim also struggles with finding ways to stand for his strong abolitionist beliefs without personal cost, an impossibility. His father and little sister Pam think neutrality is the best course of action.
Hollis Bodley, Tim's schoolmate and nemesis, is staunchly pro-slavery and scoffs at Tim's stance while making life difficult for him. With the help of Ward Baker, a black attorney, and the aid of fun-loving friend Isaac, Tim might just have a chance at trying to change a few people's minds.

"...You just don't know, young Timothy, what goes on inside of a man. Remember what I told you about courage not being the absence of fear? When you take a stand for what is right, the Lord supplies the grace to help you through the dark times."

"If I give Him a chance. Is that it?"

"If you give Him a chance," Ward repeated. (Page 40)

"Thank the Lord for Hollis Bodley. His kind can teach you how to walk in God's grace. And once you learn the lesson well, no one can take that knowledge from you." (Ward Baker, page 41)

A historical figure mentioned in the story was Benjamin Lundy, a Quaker abolitionist from New Jersey.

Next up in the series: Cincinnati Epidemic (The American Adventure #17)

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this 48 book series about American history. I must admit, although I have always loved to read world history,especially ancient Greece, American history bored me. But as a homeschooling mom of two, I want them to know their heritage. These books are an excellent way for kids to understand not only events that happened in our history but what the typical family had to overcome and what they might have gone through to survive. The series follows a family and their descendants and is always centered around 2 children and their family and friends. I am a firm believer that history isn't about learning a date with a couple of facts for a test. History is a story, a human story, our story. When I was finishing this book and my two boys are sitting there at the edge of their seats with wide eyes begging me to go to the next page, the next chapter, I know yeah, they're learning history.

[Rlygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I read in my childhood, in my pre-teens, and it was very memorable. Great well-written view of slavery that made me feel anxious for the characters and remember the story into my adulthood.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives excellent info on people's attitudes toward slavery, & how they changed. Since most of the black slaves in America were sold by Muslims to white slave traders, I think this is relevant today.