Free

by Marsha Hunt

Captures the complex relationship between two friends in 1913 a black stableboy, emotionally crippled by racism, who believes invisibility is the best approach to self-preservation, and the empathic aristocrat who coaxes him out of his shell. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

American-born singer, actress and writer who grew up in Philadelphia, she studied at the University of California, Berkeley, during the student riots of the 1960s but shortly afterwards went to Europe. [...] In London she made her name in the hit musical Hair, Her celebrated career that followed includes fifteen years in rock music, work in radio, on stage and screen. She has been a member of the Royal National Theatre (1983-6) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (1989).

(from Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby)

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly love this book. Hunt has created an amazing cast of characters, each of them with a background that she delves into, but only to the point necessary to understand their motivations. The story is very moving and she puts you right in the time and place. I learned a great deal about the history of the US and condition of the Freemen, who were still bound in every way by the racism of their country. Highly recommended for those who want a good story as well as characters that force you to think and understand why they act the way they do.