Freedom Dues

by Indra Zuno

1729: Blair Eakins is a fifteen-year-old Ulster-Scot living in Ireland under the crushing weight of famine, poverty, and prejudice against his people. In search of a better future for himself and his beloved, he pays for passage to the American colonies the only way he can: he commits himself as an indentured servant for a term of four years, having no idea what he's in for. His rough ocean crossing is only the beginning of a new life of hardships in Philadelphia.

In London, ten-year-old orphan pickpocket Mallie Ambrose is arrested for stealing a handkerchief. After experiencing the horror of Newgate prison, she is sentenced to "Transportation," bound into indentured servitude and exiled to the American colonies. Once in Maryland, she is sold to a tyrannical tobacco planter for seven years.

As Blair and Mallie each endure hellish conditions, their paths eventually cross when they are acquired by the same owner. After Blair steps in to defend Mallie from their cruel master, the two escape and head west, finding unlikely allies among the Delaware Indians. But as fugitives without rights, they live in constant fear of capture.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Audiobook

425 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Indra Zuno was born in Mexico, where she enjoyed a successful career as a performer in theater and television before turning to writing. She was a recipient of the 2017–2018 UCLA Claire Carmichael Scholarship in Novel Writing, and was subsequently nominated for the 2017 UCLA James Kirkwood Prize in Creative Writing and the 2018 UCLA Allegra Johnson Writing Prize. As part of her extensive research for her debut novel, Freedom Dues, Indra spent time in Northern Ireland, Pennsylvania, and two weeks aboard The Lady Washington, an eighteenth-century replica tall ship, washing decks and climbing masts. She met with the Master Cordwainer at Colonial Williamsburg and with a member of the Delaware tribe who is the Director of the Lenape Language Project. Immersing herself in her subject, she read over one hundred books on white servitude, the Delaware tribe, and Scots-Irish immigration, and reviewed original eighteenth-century court records at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Archives.

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Outstanding in its historical details, but why couldn’t the story have included some happy moments too? This was mentally exhausting.

Story:

1729, Ireland. Blaire Eakins is a fifteen year old Scot living during the period of a nationwide famine. (Not the Great Irish Famine, as I had originally assumed, which came more than a century later.) When there is no hope of a better future for him in his town, he decides to accompany his brother to set sail to Philadelphia. As they have no money for passage, they commit to being indentured servants for a period of four years, at the end of which period they would earn their “freedom dues” – payment made in the form of money and some non-cash items to enable the ex-servant to begin a free life. But will things go as easily as planned?

1729, London. Mallie Ambrose, a ten year old orphan, is arrested on charges of pickpocketing. Her sentence is “transportation”, being compelled into indentured servitude and exiled to the American colonies. With no say in the matter, Mallie resigns herself to making the best of her new life in the American continent. Obviously, she too has no idea of what lies ahead for her.

The story is written in a third person narration from the perspective of Blair’s and Mallie’s characters.
The book is divided in four parts, and the two main characters meet only in the final part. Each part covers one phase of their lives.

If you are a fan of history, you will find much to savour in this book. The author’s research is impeccable. She seems to have listed out the details of how life was for the poor in the 1730s in Ireland, London and America and incorporated them extensively in her story. Unfortunately, this is also the undoing of the book. What should have been an enlightening experience borders almost on misery porn. One after another, life keeps throwing curveballs at Blair and Mallie. After a while, you are mentally prepared for the fact that nothing good will ever happen in the book; every scene had to have some negative incident. You name an issue and it is there in the story: rape, corporal punishment, extreme poverty, gender discrimination, biased judiciary, sexual abuse, medical issues, natural disasters such as famines and storms, racist thinking, slavery and slave trade, fires,… There’s a lot more but I got tired of making note of all the catastrophes. I have read Solomon Northup's "Twelve Years a Slave", which is the nonfiction account of an actual Black slave, and even that book wasn't so depressing!

(A part of me feels that this happened because it is a debut work. The author has done her research well and she wanted to make sure she used every bit of her work. It reminded me a bit of my MBA project days, when I worked diligently to gather information and I would try my best to include everything in my homework just to show the professor how meticulously I had worked.😉)

Blair and Mallie are strong characters, though somehow, I never really felt very close to them even after reading the entire book. The writing style somehow keeps them distant. Nevertheless, they do make an impact. Blair especially is interesting in the way he discriminates against Black slaves and Catholics and the Irish (not necessarily in that order) though he himself is an indentured slave. It shows the duality of thinking of the people of those times. (Actually, this duality exists even nowadays; only the categories of discrimination have changed.) The rest of the characters don’t pop up long enough to make a mark on the mind. The story belongs to Blair and Mallie, and it stays that way right till the end.

Minor personal complaint: There was no need to detail out the sex scene so extensively. It was not a requirement of the story, and such superfluous writing just lowers my opinion of it.


The audiobook clocks at about 12 hours and is narrated brilliantly by Sarah-Jane Drummey. She keeps her accents and her enunciation clear. At the same time, this is not an easy book to listen to, not just because of the torturous pain that life keeps inflicting on Blair and Mallie. There are too many characters in Blair’s and Mallie’s lives, and keeping track of who’s who become very difficult after a point. Furthermore, some characters make a reappearance long after their first exit, by which time you have completely forgotten who they were.


I am not quite sure how to rate this book. I admired so much of the author’s dedication to historical detail. However, I would never like to read this again because it was so depressing. If I had to torture myself so much, I would have picked up a historical nonfiction on a difficult topic, whereby I would have been better prepared for the emotional onslaught. I guess I’ll just go a little more than the midway mark and stick to 3.5 stars, not because I liked it but because I learned a lot from it.


My thanks to Spinning a Yarn Press and NetGalley for the ALC of “Freedom Dues”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.




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[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freedom Dues by Indra Zuno was a very well written and well researched historical fiction novel. It captured the essence of the day to day lives and excessive hardships forced upon those in indentured servitude. It took place in the early 1700’s in Colonial America. I remember learning about this time in the history of the United States at various times in my education but I never remembered any historian detailing the abuse, prejudices, injustices, dreadful conditions that indentured servants were meant to work and live in or the brutal treatment they were forced to endure. Indra Zuno masterfully captured these details and left room for empathy and disgust. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by Sarah-Jane Drummey.

Blair Enkins, an Ulster Scot lad of fifteen, living in Ireland, had seen his share of poverty, famine and hardships. He had just lost his beloved father and knew that his future in Ireland was far from certain. Times were most difficult. Blair and his older brother Ronald knew that their only chance at securing a promising future was boarding a ship to America and working in indentured servitude for the four year term. It was hard to leave their widowed mother but both brothers enveloped their opportunity. For Blair, it also meant that he could continue to dream about a life with the young lass he had fallen in love with. Blair would serve his four year agreement and work hard so that after it was completed he could marry and bring his beloved to America. As the brothers boarded the ship headed for Philadelphia their optimism would be short lived. The trip to Philadelphia would be treacherous, sometimes humiliating and a taste for what was coming.


At the same time, Mallie Ambrose, a ten year old orphan girl was living in London and making a living as a pickpocket. Her luck at not being caught was about to expire. Mallie was caught stealing a handkerchief from a respectable gentleman. She was placed in Newgate Prison where the conditions were horrendous. Since it was Mallie’s first offense and she was so young, Mallie was sentenced to “Transportation”. That meant that Mallie would also lead a life in indentured servitude. Her sentence would take her to Maryland but because she had committed the crime of stealing, her term would be for seven years.

Both Mallie and Blair endured unspeakable conditions and witnessed acts of brutality, injustice and actions that angered them both. Mallie’s and Blair’s paths eventually crossed when they were bought by the same owner. There was an instant attraction between both of them. When Blair witnessed Mallie’s owner taking advantage of her, Blair stopped at.nothing to defend and protect Mallie. Would the two be able to escape the doom that their lives dictated for them by running away? Their fear was of being tracked and captured. They had no choice. As they ran to escape, there was no denying the love they felt for each other. Mallie and Blair received help from unexpected sources but their fear was always that they would be caught and meant to pay for their attempt of running away.

The characters in Freedom Dues were captivating and complex. There were twists, and turns that kept me listening way after I should have stopped. As soon as I started listening to Freedom Dues I was hooked. It was a very moving yet disturbing story based on facts. I admired the strength and courage these characters portrayed. I really enjoyed listening to Freedom Dues by Indra Zuno and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Spinning a Yarn Press for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Freedom Dues by Indra Zuno through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! Another great historical fiction to put on my list of good reads. Freedom Dues was narrated by Sarah-Jane Drummey and she was amazing. She brought something really special to an already wonderful tale. And honestly I don’t know how people didn’t die from heartbreak.
So many unfair things took place in this and I really don’t think I’d have survived back then. And if you’re wondering, it is a HEA. The beginning dragged a tiny bit but I was rewarded with a moving tale of love, loss and new beginnings.
I highly recommend this if you like historical fiction.
Thanks IBPA via NetGalley.

[Cathy S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freedom Dues is an engrossing story of indentured servitude in the New World during the early 1700’s. Life in Colonial America is difficult for all but it is exponentially harder if you are.an indentured servant. Any work that one would expect a slave to preform was also done by indentures. In fact there was little difference between the two. There were some laws that were intended to protect them but they were weak and then as now justice was out of reach of the poor. Doing research after finishing the book,I was not surprised to learn that the percentage that died during their contracted years was high. It is in this uncertain world that our protagonists find themselves.
Blair Eakins a young scots Irish man from Ulster decides to leave Ireland after his father dies. He and his brother Ronald make this choice when faced with few prospects for the future except poverty and famine. Blair looks forward to improving his life, in America, for himself and his sweetheart. Not 24 hours into the voyage Blair and his brother realize that in their new circumstances they are vulnerable and what is promised to them is not always going to be delivered.
Mallie Ambrose is a 10 year old pick-pocket from London. When she is caught and found guilty her sentence is transportation followed by a 7 year indenture. During the voyage she is befriended by a fellow transportee who had money to buy a better condition for himself while onboard. He is able to protect Mallie from some of the worst situations during the trip.
Once landed though her contract is bought by a planter from Maryland. Though still a child Mallie is expected to work anywhere she may be needed, the house, kitchens or fields. She must follow the same rules as the adults and can expect the same punishment for infractions, including beatings with a whip or leather strap.
The hardships, peril and betrayals both face and their reactions to them, form the basis of their storylines. Will they grow and prosper or fail and not survive are questions they face.
The life they live is often brutal and therefore the book is hard to read sometimes. But it also shows their ability to survive and their capacity to continue to believe in and hope for a brighter future. We see strength, courage, integrity and yes even the ability to love in them. The author has done a wonderful job creating such complex characters.
The research that was done by the author was extensive and it shows. Each facet of historical detail was seamlessly interwoven to give the reader a true sense of time and place. The story moves forward at a nice even pace with many highs,lows,twists and turns for the reader to experience. All in all this was a well written exciting book!
I “read” the novel via an audiobook and throughly enjoyed the movie that played in my head. My only wish was that the publisher had used 2 narrators. This is not meant to diminish the narrators work she did a wonderful job but the vast number of characters with differing accents would have challenged the very best actor. Despite this issue she did an admirable job using her voice to build tension and reflect thee emotions of each scene.
Recommended for serious historical fiction fans who also enjoy historical romance that’s well done.
4 Stars!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Spinning a Yarn Press and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

I haven’t read too many historical fictions from the 1700’s so this was a refreshing glimpse into history that was relatively new for me. I’d heard of indentured workers shipped from overcrowded urban environments in London to various parts of the world as farm hands and house servants. This was a particularly well documented account of two Irish people who become indentured slaves…and I use the word slaves because this is exactly how they were treated.

Mallie is only a young child when she is caught pickpocketing in London. She was abandoned by her mother and stealing to survive. As her punishment, she is sent to Maryland to work on a plantation as an indentured slave for 7 years. Young 15 year old Blair is living in Ireland with no money, no food or employment prospects. He and his brother volunteer themselves to work as indentured servants for several years in order to secure a more hopeful life in Philadelphia. These two stories eventually merge.

The historical details were gripping. It reminded me of slavery at the plantations in the southern US. Similar living conditions, punishments, controls and brutal violence. However, what was astonishingly different is that people voluntarily signed themselves up and agreed to the terms despite it all. Granted, they were leaving desperate situations and trapped once they arrived but still quite shocking.

Where the audiobook fell short for me was in the character development. I never quite connected with the MC’s thus felt emotionally removed from their circumstances. I wanted to be pulled in more and feel their experiences with them. The narration was average. I find single narration to be challenging when there’s more than one perspective going on. This book could have used a dual narration to spice it up a bit.

Overall a phenomenal look at slavery in the eighteenth century. Folks that are okay reading about violence including sexual assault will probably get a lot from this story.
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Joann 'bartunek' prashek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful historical fiction book. Thanks to Netgalley I am able to review the novel in audiobook format. The narrator did a fantastic job with the accents. At times I was close to tears hearing about what our ancestors had to endure in order for us to live in America, overcoming destitution and slavery.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indentured

In 1729 Ireland times are hard and even harder for the protestant Scotch-Irish in a predominate Catholic society. Blair Eakins and his brother Ronald pay for passage to America by becoming indentured servants for a term of four years. Not knowing when they left Ireland what they were getting into in America as indentured servants.

In London a young ten year old pickpocket Mallie Ambrose is arrested for stealing a handkerchief and sentenced to transportation to Maryland as an indentured servant for 7 years. In the story between masters and in passing Blair and Mallie get to know each other.

The story is of the hellish life of the indentured servant in the 1700's in colonial America. They are treated the same or sometimes worse than slaves. The masters take liberties with the female servants and they have no way to prevent the abuse. If they become pregnant their child is indentured to the master until they are 21 and the servant is beaten with the whip. The indentured servant are beaten with the whip for any small error. When they cause the master to become angry with them or if they try to escape they are not only beaten, but time is added to their indentured time, thus through small little life occurrences they can become unpaid slaves for way longer than their original period and sometimes for life. Some didn't last that long as they died in servitude.

It is a hard life, but the few that survive and make a life for themselves find it worth it . This is a story of two of those servants and the events that happened in their servitude.
It is rather sad and not a lot is written about in our history books, but it should have been. These people truly were in slavery to their masters.

I learned much from this book, I had heard of indentured servants before, but not much about their actual lives as servants. It was not a pretty picture. It is a part of history and needs to be remembered. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Indra Zuno for writing an informative story about a time in history, to Sarah-Jane Drummey for her wonderful narration of the audio book , to Spinning a Yarn Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's say you want to write a story about a middle school dance. You ask people about their experiences back in middle school, and do some research. Then, you write a story where every single thing you heard about, everything mean or terrible or tragic or sad or embarrassing, all happens to your two main characters at the middle school dance.

That's what Freedom Dues feels like. The author did so much research about life for indentured people in the early 1700's. And then wrote a story where every bad thing that happened in history happens to the main characters. Every mean or terrible or tragic or sad or embarrassing thing happens.

This doesn't bring history to life. It limits the life given to these characters. They have very little personality or growth, because they are simply a blank canvas to throw tragedy at.

Better are the books by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Seeds of America Trilogy. Here you have tragedy, yet you have a writer that still tells a story about people with personality and who grow.

[Kim Kaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book as soon as it arrived in the mail, and was most pleasantly surprised. I won it in a giveaway with a book group, and often in the past such books have been “ok” reads but nothing special. This book and its sympathetic characters caught my interest, made me care from the early pages, and held me all the way through in the day it took me to read it. The author did her research and then some, and it gives an organic feel to each scene. She alternates between two points of view, one of young girl caught up in the draconian legal system of early 1700s England which would execute people for pickpocketing a handkerchief worth 10 pence, and gives her the more merciful sentence of transportation to the American colonies to serve several years on a plantation; the other viewpoint is of an adolescent boy in Ireland of Scottish Protestant descent joining his brother in signing papers of indenture to work off their passages in the colony of Pennsylvania. (Many novels have adopted the split viewpoint narrative technique in recent years, and often I find this device annoying and note one viewpoint being weaker than the others. This was not so in this book, for which I was most grateful. Mallie and Blair have equally strong and engaging stories, I was deeply interested by both). Both of them suffered a good deal from the systems around white slavery prevalent prior to the American Revolution, lost people along the way, but found good friends even in the midst of suffering. Indra Zuno’s writing is high caliber, her meticulous research informs every page without weighing it down, and her characters bring it all to life. A graduate of the UCLA Extension writing program, she won the IBPA Ben Franklin Award for this, her debut novel.

I knew of this practice as I grew up in Western Pennsylvania and it is a part of many people’s family history, but I know many people will find it surprising. This is a well-told story, exciting, heartbreaking, and rewarding. I highly recommend it, it is a truly excellent read.

[The Queen of Swords · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the harder reviews I've ever written.
In many ways Freedom Dues by debuting author Indra Zuno is a great book. It however has one, if you ask me, rather big issue for me that makes me scratch my head in frustration - both while I was reading the ebook version of the paperback AND now, while I'm considering its amount of stars.

Let me start by the beginning. Freedom Dues, a title that refers to the clothing former indentured servants get once they've ended their X-year term, is a story about two young Brits from early 1700s. One is Blair, an Irish Protestant teenager living in Scotland with his poor family. The other, Malvina, or Mallie, an 11yo orphan girl who is part of a gang of pickpockets, trying to snatch valuables off rich Londoners in the hopes of being able to buy food.

Blairs family is failing to make ends meet and the future seems bleak in many many ways. Hoping to marry and take care of his sweetheart, 15yo Blair reluctantly follows his brother onto a supposedly well stocked ship to the promised land: the Americas. Colonies that seem to make, if not rich, then certainly well off men of those who go -based on letters and stories by Blairs neighbours. In exchange for passage they sign up for 4 years of indenture: working for free, with the tradesmen or landowners who buy them. That Blair had a big wallop of foresight when he feels something is off about the nice stories they're being fed about their upcoming ship's voyage becomes clear the minute he tries to get off. It only gets worse after that...

Orphan Mallie finds herself in dire straits when she and her fellow pickpockets get caught trying to steal from a gentleman at a London market. Branded a thief, she's sentenced to several years of indenture in the colonies. But not before she experiences the horrors of prison life as poor girl...

Freedom Dues is historical fiction; fiction that has an undoubtedly well-researched base. Most people with an interest in history know at least something about the beginnings of the Land of The Free - in this regard a rather ironic title - so the fact that prisoners were often shipped off to the colonies and that many sought to make a better life for themselves in this faraway place won't come as a surprise. But Zuno gives an array of small and big details on her pages, that makes the early prison system of London, the long voyage to the Americas as an indentured, working as such, living together with slaves, the early meetings and trade with the Native tribes... all feel real. And makes the book, in its own gruesome way, informative at times.

Despite the fact I'm a contemporary historian and more interested in the Europe of 1933-1990 most of this particular past isn't unknown to me. But I still had "Ooooh" moments, or "What?!!!" thoughts. And if an historical fiction book can do that, it's always a bonus.

Freedom Dues follows Blair and Mallie on their respective journeys. On their way to and while in - I can't say it any other way - the clutches of their masters. Through their own eyes we see who they meet, by whom they're bought and how they're treated. Until the pair meets. And yes people, by that time we get a "true love"-story. If it's a happy one, only readers will know. (I always try to write reviews with as little spoilers as I can.) Anyway, all of the above is what made me think quite positive about Freedom Dues once I finished the book. But there is, as said before, something that bugs me. A lot.

For most of the book Blair and Mallie have their own, alternate chapters. It's when we're already over 2/3rds of the book when their lives intersect and what you're reading affects both of them. While it isn't uncommon for an author to choose two point of views, and to change that perspective chapter by chapter, that usually happens when there is *one* storyline in which both participate. You just get to see both their thoughts within the situation at play. Because that isn't the case in Freedom Dues it makes it - at times - a little harder to get attached to Zuno's characters.

And that's made worse by the true issue I have with this novel. What bothered me, and even made me stop reading and grab a different book at 60%, was the no holds barred, no break, constant suffering and agony. I rarely quit a book. Certainly not one I'm bound to write a review for! So why?

Freedom Dues lacks, for the most part, balance. It is, to put it simply, one giant bucket of utter misery. For both of them, but Mallie, as a young and pretty girl, is worse off than her male counterparts. Indentured servants could be treated, if unlucky, as bad a slaves. Think every horrible thing that *could* happen to an indentured servant in the Americas and it does in this book. Now, this might very well have been truth for many, but in a novel you can show that and still add depth in other areas, other moments to off set the bad and ugly. For good reason. As a result there is little character growth in the book, despite the fact both are legally adults at the end.
As a reader you do not get a breather. (This might also be a good time to give a general, fair warning: this book can trigger people as it describes abuse and rape and such).

And that's what made me force one. A breather. By reading a nice supernatural cozy mystery series in between. I am happy I finished Freedom Dues, because the title of the book was picked for good reason. And I dislike not knowing how a book ends that started so well. But I wish there had been more moments in which to pull the characters into my heart, to get to know them, see who they become because or despite of their hardship. A so-called 'lull' with some actual happiness could and probably would in effect also create an interesting tension- "is this going to last?" When is the sh*t hitting the fan again??" - or shock for when dark things would enter their lives again.

Yes, it makes every new bit of suffering worse, but every bit of joy equally great. It makes a person, but certainly the story, come to life more. And as a result I, the reader, would most likely be crying and smiling with them.
It's not as if I wasn't rooting for them - what they go through and what was supposedly a justice system, was appalling. I'm a very empathic person and therefore easy to jump up in defense of people, to get angry on their behalf - even when they're fictional. But it didn't run deep. I never really felt as if Blair and Mallie were 'my friends', as one is wont to do with book characters that capture you. I won't truly miss them either.

The end of the novel was unexpected. Unexpected in a way that sudden luck was created and before I knew it, I hit the last page. Huh? While the ending in itself was a nice find, it missed a lot of the possible tension. One moment main character 1 is in utter panic and despair, with MC2 waiting another possible horror and then... done. We immediately know what is happening and in a mere extra pages their story ends.
It wasn't in style with the rest of the book and seemed rushed. Almost as if Zuno also thought “Okay, I've had enough of all this misery. Let's finish the thing! “ Ironically enough... just when I needed, wànted a little (extra) misery to make the ending really count, I didn't get it.

CONCLUSION & RATING
Indra Zuno has written a good debut in many ways. As said earlier, her research is showing, and I enjoyed that. It's well written in the way that she made scenes come to life. I was able to see the mid 1700s right before my eyes, learnt some things, and the author definitely managed to evoke some emotion in me, as explained before.

Said emotion was predominantly impotent rage: I've truly wanted to go back in time to hit, or you know, c*strate a few (non-existent) people. Freedom Dues show us that the history and early beginnings of the United States have many a black page - and a lot of them are shown, through main- and side characters.

It is because of the above-mentioned points that I would easily give this book 4 stars. Unfortunately I can't overlook the fact this might have been a DNF in different circumstances. True, I'm happy I finished it. Leaving Mallie and Blair with an eased mind felt much better, so I'll hereby tell you to do the same: finish it if you encountered the same issue. Open endings are annoying, right?

However, I'm conflicted as a result. What do I give a book that's part good historical fiction worthy of 4 stars, but also part serious lack of balance & character growth + sudden lacklustre ending?
Three then. 3***.
On the 1.00 to 10 scale that I prefer for its nuance, I'd give it a 6.5. Lower than I had anticipated starting the book, and knowing what authors put in books like these lower than I'd hoped to give. However, compared to another 3 star-review I just gave, probably fair.

NB: I might be rather critical in this review, but that doesn't mean I'll give up on Indra Zuno. Despite my criticism I understand why this book was published. And I'm sure many will disagree with my opinion as well. Based on the many qualities I did see, Zuno is an author to watch out for. And to try again if she publishes a new book. And I will. Try anew. After all... no matter how honest are, reviewing remains a subjective art. Which means a new book others won't like that much, I might love. I gave part of this book 4 stars, maybe the next novel gets them as a whole.

I was given an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nisha Joshi (swamped, will review whenever possible) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair Eakins is an Ulster-Scot from Ireland who goes to America to earn some money and bring his family out of famine and poverty. Mallie Ambrose is a ten-year-old from London who is caught with a group of pickpockets while stealing a silk handkerchief and is sentenced to transportation.

Both arrive in America, not knowing what they will find there. Blair is even hopeful. But both of them are signed to indentures that have them serving for seven years with their respective masters.

During their stay at their workplaces, both Blair and Mallie witness and undergo unimaginable tortures. Eventually, they both are hired by the same master and they fall in love in each other almost immediately.

But after an unfortunate incident, they have to flee and actually use the help of the Indians who are viewed as villains by the rest of the society. Will Blair and Mallie be able to live a normal life ever again?

I was amazed at the amount of research the author has put in. 1729 seems ancient to me and I hadn't read a single book set in this period before this one. The story is good too though it would have been better if the author had included some happy moments for the main characters as well. As it is, the book seems to be an unending set of misfortunes descending upon Blair and Mallie.

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Kasia Hubbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, while I do read quite a bit, across the board and across several different genres, this period in time is not one I'm overly familiar with (1730's) and I did learn quite a bit about this time period in history for those who were not the upper elites of society. Indra Zuno definitely shows that she has done a thorough job researching this time frame. This was a hard read (well, listen since I had the audiobook version narrated by Sarah-Jane Drummey), not because of the story line itself being made up of fictional characters, but because it's all based on historical facts that happened to real people in the past, and that's a hard truth to embrace. It seemed as though Blair and Mallie, even though they were walking different paths and ended up in the same type of punishment of indentured servitude for different crimes, they just couldn't catch a break no matter what they did nor how much they had hoped for, and while their journey was very brutal to body, spirit, and soul, the question stands for all of humanity, which is do you have what it takes to survive against all odds. A job well done by Indra Zuno.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

[Victoria Consuelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in early 1700, the book follows the lives of Blair Eakins (a Scot living in Ireland under famine and poverty) and Millie Ambrose (an orphan living in London). While they live a life of servitude in Philadelphia and Maryland, respectively, their paths eventually intertwine when they are bought by the same cruel owner. Facing the odds, they take on a journey of love, struggle, and freedom.

This book does an amazing job at really immersing the reader — from the language, the food, to the details of everyday life of indentured servants of 18th century London, Ireland and our East Coast. If you are interested in historical fiction, I would highly recommend this novel!

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often readers will Have a nostalgic view of what life was like in colonial America. Freedom Dues washes away those rose tinted glasses in the first few paragraphs. I found the story to be earthy, gritty, and very realistic. It covers two characters, Blair and Mallie, and their experiences with being indentured servants. Beaten, abused, and cheated, the narrative is not for every reader. However, I think the lack of romantic polish makes it a worthwhile read. It is a testament to all the survivors of servitude; their lot was harsh and endurance not always possible.
Thanks to Spinning a Yarn Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Loretta Miles Tollefson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful debut historical novel that is well written, richly textured, has intriguing characters, and does a great job of integrating historical information into the story line. I really liked this book and am looking forward to seeing more from this author.

[Desiree Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sodomy drop @ 22%. Exit time 🪂

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freedom Dues
by Indra Zuno
This is a remarkable history of the 17th century. The forced servitude of Irish, and Sottish immigrants that are indentured labor and near slavery. The story shows the forced immigration of "criminal" English men and women. The men forcing their attention on little girls, not only because they had the power but because they were never held accountable for their behaviors. The rough nature of the owners of the debts. The politics that made contracts that were signed for a short period were extended by deception is a common occurrence. Another part of American history that has not been taught. I wonder if more of these stories were told that some of the divisions in the world will be healed.
The voice of the audible book show the fear, desperation, and emotion of the characters.

[Eileen Iciek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling novel about the lives of indentured servants in the mid-18th century by a debut author. The story follows two children, Blair from famine struck northern Ireland and orphaned Mallie from London, in their journeys across the Atlantic and into often horrific work situations. These characters come to life in their struggles to finally achieve their freedom in the face of cruel and manipulative masters and an indifferent legal system. The author's pacing of her story kept me reading long after bedtime!

Indentured servitude is not a widely known part of American history, but this author's thorough research made it come alive. I've read a few other novels that included stories about the indenture system, but the opportunities it provided for truly barbaric behavior by masters were generally papered over with stories of "good" masters.

Highly recommended!

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freedom Dues by Indra Zuno is a great historical tale. It features the life of indentured servants. Frightening, realistic, and dangerous these two characters have a long journey ahead of them. Their fear can be felt on every page. This writer has captured the time period perfectly. The story is entertaining and keeps me interested in the lives of the protagonists. Action, adventure and history can be found inside this novel.

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Buzz McCord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tough assignment. To write about ordinary folks who lived 300 years ago. Show their hardships, preserve their dignity, reveal their hopes. And make it interesting. Indra Zuno succeeds admirably with Freedom Dues.

My wife tracked my paternal Scotch-Irish US roots to the time of the Revolution. I took it personally. So, I searched for historical fiction to flesh out a story for my relatives. Thus, Feedom Dues by Ms. Zuno.

The cost of a book is not its price. Before investing 10 hours in Freedom Dues, I needed to know that the history would be meaningful. No sense fleshing out my relatives from a narrative that’s mostly fiction. I found that Ms. Zuno wasn’t going to waste my time. She had done extensive research and travel to prepare for the book. I trusted the author. My reading could open windows to my sixth-great grandparent’s reality.

Freedom Dues is about survivors. Indra Zuno recounts the lives of a man-child, Blair, and young woman, Mallie, starting with their 1720’s homes in Ireland and England. Ms. Zuno doesn’t sugarcoat the soon-to-be- emigrants’ stories. Degradation. Persecution. She colors in their reasons to flee family and home. On behalf of my great-grandparents, Indra roused in me an empathy for Blair and Mallie’s pain.

Indra doesn’t romanticize the transatlantic crossings. She reintroduces old villans- cheating traders of human cargo and a cruel ship’s Captain. Ms. Zuno let me live with the villains’ beaten sailors and commodified passengers. Their weeks from Britain to America were many times near-deadly. Indra’s narrative let me share in the exhausted, fearful joy of landing. I learned that my six-times-great grandfather Thomas was one tough guy. Wife Suzanna must have been tougher.

The novel stands out for its attention to daily life. We already know the textbook facts. But Ms. Zuno enlivens the details: crude tools, frightening nights, primitive folk cures, the dangers of sinful secret sex. Above all, I closed each reading filled with the odors, joyful and repugnant, kitchen, bedroom, privy and alley.

An overarching success of Zuno’s book is how it weaves together the 18th Century lives of men and women. The narrative swings back and forth from Mallie to Blair. The author creatively lets us develop our own tally of contrasts and comparisons. Ms. Zuno manages to capture Mallie and Blair’s unique, sex-defined challenges, most poignantly, pregnancy avoidance and cure.

The author deftly slips us into a wide range of environments. Within the first dozen chapters, I felt versed in the squalid British township, agonizing prison, chaotic wharf, fetid ship’s quarters, degradations of immigration, punishments of farm work and exploitation of indentured servitude. Painlessly, without lecturing, Indra Zuno puts us in the protagonists’ shoes on their anguished walk through an 18th Century world.

Fate delivers Blair and Mallie to romance. But when Blair rises to defend her safety and honor, their world crashes. They’re forced to run West, finding support from a tribe of indigenous Delaware. The book becomes more difficult to put down as Blair and Mallie struggle to escape their past. Indra Zuno cleverly gives them and us a piece of the classical American dream, but not before diving into a stomach-wrenching pit of despondency.

Freedom Dues reads easily. Ms. Zuno’s dialogue is fluid and believable. Her use of archaic vernacular is targeted enough to lend authenticity without distracting. Like any complex story I have read, it was important to quickly internalize each of Freedom Dues’ characters and to embrace the English-colonial vocabulary she introduces, starting with the intriguing title.

I highly recommend Freedom Dues if you like realistic historical fiction based on dialogue and action. But don’t look for a frilly romance trimmed in pink. This book is gutsy.

In the quest to understand my Scotch-Irish roots, Freedom Dues was a perfect complement to the recent-past conveyed in Hillbilly Elegy. Indra Zuno shined new light on the lives of relatives, ancient and current. Great experience. Great book.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freedom Dues is a captivating historical fiction novel written with talent, love, and passion by award-winning author Indra Zuno.

The action opens up in 1729 when we make the acquaintance of the two main characters featured in this gripping tale of drama, hardships, slavery, poverty, and of course, the power of love. 15-year-old Blair Eakins and 10-year-old orphan Mallie Ambrose struggle living in different and distant places, one in Ireland and the other in Britain, where little price is put upon the lives of the poor or the unlucky.

Forced into servitude, barely surviving the arduous journey across the seas, Blair and Mallie find themselves in the United States and here their paths are destined to cross and once they meet, their lives will change forever!

As I said above, this novel is written with care, love, passion, and respect for people who had to survive through such difficult times as those portrayed here. Clearly, the author did a lot of research in order to document the folks, the times and places in Freedom Dues. The characters feel alive, the places and the events are vividly and explicitly described, while the story is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

The audiobook version of Freedom Dues is expertly brought to life by AudioFile Earphones award-winning narrator Sarah-Jane Drummey.

Sarah delivers a balanced performance, switching with ease between Irish, British, Native American, and other accents. She reads in a very pleasant voice and manages to infuse the story with just the right amount of emotion and urgency when needed. I can say that Sarah was the perfect choice to perform this audiobook and thanks to her talent for storytelling and skills with voices and accents, this audio production is elevated to the highest levels of immersion for the listener.

Freedom Dues won the 2021 Gold Benjamin Franklin IBPA Award in the Historical Fiction category and I think that if you are interested in this genre, you will be delighted with what this audiobook has to offer.

Sarah-Jane Drummey is a super voiceover artist and I think that Indra Zuno will delight and entertain readers and listeners for many years to come

Even though I have finished Freedom Dues more than a week ago, I’m sure that Blair and Mallie will stay with me for a long time. That’s how real and alive they felt to me throughout their adventure.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

1729: Blair Eakins is a fifteen-year-old Ulster-Scot living in Ireland under the crushing weight of famine, poverty, and prejudice against his people. In search of a better future for himself and his beloved, he pays for passage to the American colonies the only way he can: he commits himself as an indentured servant for a term of four years, having no idea what he's in for. His rough ocean crossing is only the beginning of a new life of hardships in Philadelphia.

In London, ten-year-old orphan pickpocket Mallie Ambrose is arrested for stealing a handkerchief. After experiencing the horror of Newgate prison, she is sentenced to "Transportation," bound into indentured servitude and exiled to the American colonies. Once in Maryland, she is sold to a tyrannical tobacco planter for seven years.

As Blair and Mallie each endure hellish conditions, their paths eventually cross when they are acquired by the same owner. After Blair steps in to defend Mallie from their cruel master, the two escape and head west, finding unlikely allies among the Delaware Indians. But as fugitives without rights, they live in constant fear of capture.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the story thoroughly it was educational, heartbreaking and really well researched it took me quite a while to read/listen though even as an Irish Scot I found the narration quite difficult to grasp, I’m loathed to say as I tried really hard to get with it. That said, don’t let that put you off because the story itself is brilliant.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indra Zuno’s book, Freedom Dues, is the perfect marriage of historical fiction and suspense. At every turn I’d become more engrossed in the challenges facing the main characters, Blair Eakins of Ireland and Mallie Ambrose of England. Their story’s told over nearly a decade of time in an alternating pattern.

It is evident in the rich details and complicated stories that Zuno took great care in researching what life was like for indentured servants in America during the early 1720s and 1730s. Though this story is a work of fiction, I felt like I learned more about how life used to be in the early development of the USA.

What I look for in stories I enjoy is the feeling of investment I have with the characters. The joy I feel when they triumph and the heartache when they hit hard times. Zuno delivered that and more through carefully crafted character development. With each chapter and as time passed her characters came to life in realistic, though heartbreaking at times, ways. Nothing every felt forced or stagnant.

I recommend Freedom Dues to anyone who loves historical fiction and suspense stories. This one surely packs the punch of suspense with the historical accuracy of a nonfiction story.

I was provided an ARC copy of Freedom Dues by Net Galley. My sincere gratitude to author, Indra Zuno, Spinning A Yarn Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book. My review was not influenced by that fact and are my own words, thoughts & feelings.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An EPIC novel about the indentured servants that were sent from England usually Irish and Scottish to the colonies to serve out sentences. The books tells of the horrors on the passage over as well as the treatment once arriving. These indentured are on the same level of slaves essentially struggling to serve out many unreasonable sentences. The author alternates between two points of view, one of young girl caught up in the draconian legal system of early 1700s England which would execute people for pickpocketing a handkerchief worth 10 pence, and gives her the more merciful sentence of transportation to the American colonies to serve several years on a plantation; the other viewpoint is of an adolescent boy in Ireland of Scottish Protestant descent joining his brother in signing papers of indenture to work off their passages in the colony of Pennsylvania. Another wonderful historical fiction book. Thanks to Netgalley I am able to review the novel in audiobook format. The narrator did a fantastic job with the accents. At times I was close to tears hearing about what our ancestors had to endure in order for us to live in America, overcoming destitution and slavery.

Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Star Gater · Rating 2 out of 5]

So long for so little. The synopsis tells the premise. I'm not going to repeat it or give spoilers. Also, I had the audiobook.

Without the synopsis and the first 10% of the book, I would not have recognized inferences to the Irish FamIne. The story could have been about anyone during the time period that was forced to become an indentured servant. The horrors and treatment of human beings by other human beings has been told. I wanted more history. I kept waiting for it. Each new part I thought here it comes. Unfortunately, a really long, and not realistic group of characters were popping in and out of the story. There were too few characters for the amount of abuse the author wanted me to believe they individually experienced.

While I didn't want more characters, I did want realistic storytelling.

This is a miss for me. However, I did enjoy the brief mention of Catholicism and Protestant hatred. It was a reminder, something I had forgotten.

The title of the book captures exactly the point of the story.

The narrator was good.

At the conclusion, I was mentally exhausted. There were too many hours that read blah, blah, blah.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indra Zuno's book Freedom Dues is the perfect blend of historical fiction and suspense.

At every turn, I got more and more engrossed in the challenges faced by the characters, Blair Eakins of Ireland and Mallie Ambrose of England. Over a decade of time, their story is told alternatingly.

Zuno took great care to research what life was like for indentured servants in America during the early 1720s and 1730s. You can see it in the rich details and complicated stories. Despite this story being fiction, I felt like I learned more about life in the early days of the USA.

My favorite stories are those that make me feel invested in the characters. When they win, I'm thrilled, and when they lose, I'm heartbroken. Through carefully crafted character development, Zuno gave me all that and more. With each chapter, her characters came to life in a realistic, if heartbreaking way. There was never a dull moment.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

With great thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher Spinning Yarn Press for the opportunity to listen to this audio version of Freedom Dues.

This is a extremely well done piece of historical fiction. There is nothing pretty about the early 1700s - head to Jane Austen for that. This is about indentured servitude and specifically the Irish coming to the United States. They are a mixed lot - some can afford to pay, some are criminals banished to the United States for often petty crimes and some sign as an indentured servant to pay their voyage - for 4-5-7 + years. A nod to our ancestors.

The author really develops the main characters to a tangible person. From an emotional standpoint there is the brutality, living conditions and strength within them all.

I really enjoyed the audio version. Her voices, tenor and accent all added to the story.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the very start. I just loved the story line it was so amazing and unique. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator with her brilliant accent. She created so much atmosphere and tension. That I had to binge read this book. I really connected with the characters and found myself willing them on and really feeling their emotions. This is quite a shocking story with quite a few twists and turns I was on the edge of my seat. I felt the author did an amazing job at portraying convict slavery. I really would recommend this book to every one who loves to read books that will shock you.
I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishing team for bringing us this brilliant and gripping historical fiction book. Its a real page turner.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing gentle about this audio book. It takes on the difficulties and challenges for early immigrants to the British colonies in North America. From indenture to sentenced with transport, the characters must survive cruelty, beatings & whippings, rape, and lies in the hope of working hard enough to earn their freedom.

The pace of Juno's writing is stately taking quite a while for the story to unfurl. Listening to the fluid performance, it took 9 hours for the two main characters (Blair & Mallie) to meet and fall for each other. Don't be impatient for the stories to intertwine. It's worth the wait.

For more on the performance, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com

[JCS · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1729 Irishman Blair Eakins and his brother sail to America in search of a better life. They pay their passage by signing up as indentured servants for four years. At a similar time, Londoner Mallie Ambrose is arrested for stealing and is sentenced to transportation to Maryland, also as an indentured servant, for seven years. Eventually their paths cross and they plan towards a life of freedom. This story has been well researched and the descriptions of the harsh lives they suffered felt very real. Excellent narration. Thank you to Indra Zuno, Net galley and Spinning a Yarn Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.