Runaway!

by Dennis Maley

A runaway slave boy, the Underground Railroad, a land without shadows.

Robbed of his emancipation by his master’s widow, a literate 14-year-old slave boy flees into the prairie. His journey crosses a territory ripped apart in conflict over stolen elections, printing presses thrown in the river, church houses nailed shut. But folk stories and campfire songs help him find conductors on the Underground Railroad. Slavecatchers dog his trail, but before the runaway can cross the river to freedom, he must first place his faith in an illiterate freewoman.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Confirmed flatlander, lives with a killer reading teacher in Oklahoma City.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, an interesting read. I especially liked that the author included in the Epilogue a brief biographical account of the historical characters in the novel and explained which parts of the story were true and which were fictional. The only critique I would make is that some parts of the story were choppy and lacked transition, which prevented the reader from getting caught up in the suspense of the story as it was developing.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Runaway! by Dennis Maley is an awesome historical novel. It is an interesting read on a runaway slave that encounters many obstacles. You can't help but root for him to overcome everything thrown his way. I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads and I'm very glad I was one of the winners!

[Literary Chanteuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both the story and the main character had my interest from very early on in the book. The events and emotions did come across spendidly. I found thoughI was confused at times and I think this was due to the spots where the story was not as cohesive as I would have liked but overall a good book. I enjoyed the tid bits of historcal fact at the end and photos that always give an added plus.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the book. I had a hard time putting this book down. It was a really good read.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work of historical fiction which stretches nearly two hundred pages is a fascinating study of white and black characters struggling with each other not in the North and South but in the new western territories caught in the battle between slave and free. Maley’s protagonist is a fourteen year old black boy named Blanche Bruce who begins life as a slave in Virginia, but later struggles to assert his independence in Missouri after his current master’s death. Here he is owned by a printer who relies on him to set type for his newspaper. Bruce had secretly learned to read and write as a young boy. The author admits that Blanche is a composite character, but his thoughts and actions are very believable as the intricate plot unfolds.

Bruce will take a journey along the Underground Railroad, while he is pursued by the pro-slavery forces he left behind in Missouri. They consist of an unlikely alliance of preachers, lawmen, politicians and citizens. Butler reveals himself as a clever young man struggling to differentiate between exactly who are his friends and enemies. The pro-slavers found opposition in the abolitionists and free soil settlers who hoped to make the new territories a land of new opportunity. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot as Blanche struggles to find a safe haven. At the end of the tale, which has a surprise ending, the author provides an epilogue illuminating what facts are real and which are fiction. This section is instrumental in understanding the plot; the reader might wish she had it earlier as sometimes the story line becomes complicated to follow.

I still recommend the book as an interesting one appropriate for adults and children age twelve and older. It presents a good psychological study of the pre-civil war era that is a lot less widely known and understood. Students of mid-nineteenth history can use it as a vehicle for examining the personal, moral and political conflict occurring in America’s new territories at that time.

[Tiffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a whole, I enjoyed this book. I especially liked the author inserted real people and real events into this historical book - however, as he notes at the end of the end of the book, he did take some creative license with certain people and events. I also liked how the main character is challenged to reevaluate his own prejudices, thoughts, and feelings. At times, the story is a bit choppy, but as a whole, I enjoyed this book.