The Free Man

by Conrad Richter, Stephanie Grauman Wolf (Contributor)

The revolutionary patriot known as Henry Free had come to America as the boy Henner Dellicker--his new life as different as his name and the childhood he left behind in Germany. He had traveled to colonial Philadelphia in a ship crowded with starving emigrants, only to discover that it was indentured servitude, not freedom, to which he sailed.

Conrad Richter's 1943 novel, now restored to print, tells the rousing story of Free's journey, of his time in service, and of his struggle for freedom--his own, and that of the young nation of which he becomes a part. In the process of telling this story, Richter reveals many details about everyday life in eighteenth-century Philadelphia and highlights the little-known part played by the founding fathers of the Pennsylvania Dutch in America's growth to nationhood.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics

Paperback

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Conrad Michael Richter (October 13, 1890 – October 30, 1968) was an American novelist whose lyrical work is concerned largely with life on the American frontier in various periods. His novel The Town (1950), the last story of his trilogy The Awakening Land about the Ohio frontier, won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.[1] His novel The Waters of Kronos won the 1961 National Book Award for Fiction.[2] Two collections of short stories were published posthumously during the 20th century, and several of his novels have been reissued during the 21st century by academic presses. (wikipedia.org)

Reviews

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Conrad Richter's trilogy that starts with the Trees, and had read The Light in the Forest in my school days. When I was doing an author search in GR found he wrote many books I haven't read, and this is one of these. This is old and I had to go searching far and wide for it as it doesn't seem to have been one that was digitized at least in the places I was looking.

Henry Free (the name he gave himself) was a scrappy, very likeable fellow who fights his way through all kinds of challenges - a couple of rounds of unjust indentured servitude, uncomfortable verminous journeys, relationships that began with trust and end with betrayals, and his final wins in the categories of place (Blue Mountains), wealth and position (he has it), and love (She Who Must Be Obeyed becomes the last candidate you'd have chosen for wife).

The book is short, and written in that 40's historical voice that I love - Conrad's voice, but toward the end the story line runs out of steam and clarity, more just a gentle doze at the fireside, leaving a reader to tip toe out without waking anyone up. . . . .that's 3 stars from me.

[Mariam Cheshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you don't want to finish. Henry Free, a Palatine, travelled from Germany to the free land of Pennsyvlvania. It was a rough sea voyage and Henner found out he had been duped into years of bondage. The history is great, the "dialect" he spoke is shown throughout and it is a wonderful story to read about an 18 year old man who aids in the Revolution.

Any book by Conrad Richter is great writing but this one has subject and theme that is part of my history so I lived Henner's life with him.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The is a novella about a young German, Henner Delicker, as he comes from Germany to 1770s colonial Pennsylvania seeking a better life. It details his struggles until his path ultimately leads him to become a successful merchant named Henry Free in Jacksonian era Reading, PA. The story opens with the elder Henry in his store as he is prompted to tell ‘his’ story.
His story contains an explicit depiction of the indentured servant process faced by many American immigrants of that era. The book depicts details of how one becomes indentured, the terms of indenture, the basic unfairness of the process and how the existing laws inordinately favor the propertied class of indentured servant owners. This depiction in the first two thirds of the novella is both harrowing and enlightening and is what makes the book worth reading.
However, the last portion set at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, where ‘Henry’ joins his fellow Pennsylvania Dutch in rebellious resistance to the British rulers and Henry encounters a romance did not ring true. Richter wrote this novella in 1943 during the middle of WWII with the stated purpose of showing the patriotism of German Americans in the formation of America so that America would be more accepting of the then-current day German Americans.
My last fiction read was John Steinbeck’s The Moon is Down, which is another American novel written during WWII with a propaganda purpose; to encourage resistance to Nazi’s in occupied European villages. However, whereas Steinbeck successfully integrated his message into some very effective storytelling, Richter’s attempt to convey a message almost derails what had until then been very effective storytelling, albeit perhaps not as much as his inept romance did.
In rating this novella, I find that it truly does an excellent job of portraying the indentured servant experience before it was weighed down by the ending portion. I believe the GR average rating of 3.74 for this novella accurately reflects my personal assessment. Since 3.74 should be rounded up, this novella, my 5th Conrad Richter work and the weakest so far, is still deserving of a 4-star rating.

[Jeffrey Franks]

An insightful story of Henner, a young man who came to America from England as a Palatine redemptioner. Set in the years just prior to the American Revolution, The Free Man follows Henner from his journey across The Atlantic Ocean on a squalid boat captained by a corrupt and opportunisitc man. The captain extorts his passengers and steals their property, including Henner's. At the port of Philadelphia Henner is bound out to an Englishman, whose cousin, Ms. Amity, becomes Henner's antagonist. Following a whipping ordered by her, Henner runs away across the mountains into an American widerness populated by fellow Germans. There, in the Blue Mountains, he finds sanctuary and flourishes for a number of years until the start of the Revolution. Henner's leadership qualities and passion for freedom from England lead him out of his Blue Mountain village to Reading, PA, where he finds fellow patriots and Ms. Amity. The story's ending may surprise you. A quick read.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Henner Dellicker, a Palatine who sailed from Holland to Philadelphia with his parents in the 18th century. He changes his name to Henry Free after surviving many hardships of the crossing and being forced into indentureship. The tale tells of the beginnings of the Revolutionary War, and the part the Pennsylvania Dutch, as his people were called, played in it.

This book is a treasure, and I am sad to see it is out of print.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book published in 1943 about a teen immigrant who is sold into servitude by the boat captain to people in PA, and his life until freedom.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a genuine book to read while at the same time, you research your family ancestry. This book is a treasure!!

[Aditya Sathe · Rating 4 out of 5]

जी. ए. कुलकर्णी हे सर्व मराठी साहित्यप्रेमींना एक कथाकार म्हणून माहिती आहेत, नव्हे तर त्यांच्यावर मराठी माणसाचे प्रेम आहे. पण स्वातंत्र्य आले घरा ही अनुवादित कादंबरी त्यांना एक उत्तम अनुवादकार म्हणूनही ओळख निर्माण करून देते म्हटल्यास गैर ठरणार नाही. कथानक जरी पेंसेलव्हेनियामध्ये घडत असलं तरी देखील जी एनी वापरलेल्या मराठी भाषेमुळे कुठेही तुटक वाटत नाही.