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Journey Back to Freedom - The Olaudah Equiano Story
From the horrors of the slave trade to a book that changed the world, Catherine Johnson celebrates the incredible life of Olaudah Equiano in this gripping true story.
Born in what is now Nigeria in 1745, Olaudah Equiano’s peaceful childhood was brought to an abrupt end when he was captured and enslaved aged 11. He spent much of the next eight years of his life at sea, seeing action in the Seven Years’ War. When he was finally able to buy his freedom, he went on to become a prominent member of the abolition movement and in 1789 published one of the first books by a Black African writer. Journey Back to Freedom focuses on Equiano’s early life, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit and one man’s determination to be free.
Born in what is now Nigeria in 1745, Olaudah Equiano’s peaceful childhood was brought to an abrupt end when he was captured and enslaved aged 11. He spent much of the next eight years of his life at sea, seeing action in the Seven Years’ War. When he was finally able to buy his freedom, he went on to become a prominent member of the abolition movement and in 1789 published one of the first books by a Black African writer. Journey Back to Freedom focuses on Equiano’s early life, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit and one man’s determination to be free.
112 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2022
About the author
Catherine Johnson
111 books60 followersCatherine Johnson is an English author and screenwriter. She has written several young adult novels and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2004 drama film Bullet Boy.
Johnson was born in London, England, in 1962. Her father was Jamaican and her mother was Welsh. Johnson grew up in North London and attended Tetherdown Primary School. Later she studied film at St Martin's School of Art, before turning to writing.
Her first book, The Last Welsh Summer, was published by Welsh publisher Pont Books in 1993. She has since written and published 20 novels. In 1999 her book Landlocked was honoured as an International Youth Library White Raven book. Other accolades include the 2014 Young Quills Award for best historical fiction for over-12s for her 2013 book Sawbones, which was also shortlisted for the Rotherham Book Award, the Salford Children's Book Prize and the Hoo Kids Book Award. Johnson won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children's Fiction for her 2018 book Freedom.
Johnson has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the London Institute, a Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison and a Reader in Residence at the Royal Festival Hall's Imagine Children's Literature Festival. In 2019 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Johnson was born in London, England, in 1962. Her father was Jamaican and her mother was Welsh. Johnson grew up in North London and attended Tetherdown Primary School. Later she studied film at St Martin's School of Art, before turning to writing.
Her first book, The Last Welsh Summer, was published by Welsh publisher Pont Books in 1993. She has since written and published 20 novels. In 1999 her book Landlocked was honoured as an International Youth Library White Raven book. Other accolades include the 2014 Young Quills Award for best historical fiction for over-12s for her 2013 book Sawbones, which was also shortlisted for the Rotherham Book Award, the Salford Children's Book Prize and the Hoo Kids Book Award. Johnson won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children's Fiction for her 2018 book Freedom.
Johnson has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the London Institute, a Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison and a Reader in Residence at the Royal Festival Hall's Imagine Children's Literature Festival. In 2019 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 13, 2022
A true-life account of a Nigerian boy who was kidnapped, enslaved, and later bought back his own freedom in the 18th century.
Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745 in Essaka, in what is today a part of Nigeria. When he was eleven, he, along with his sister, was kidnapped by slave traders and taken to the Caribbean. He was sold multiple times as a slave, once to a British Royal Navy officer. This experience impact his life the most. Equiano turned out to be very enterprising, and with his small savings and gains from local trade, he purchased his freedom and settled in London. He later became part of the Sons of Africa, an abolitionist group composed of Africans living in Britain. The story is written in the first person perspective of Equiano, and bases many facts on the information in his memoir.
The story begins with a very brief look into Equiano’s early years and covers his journey through the Caribbean and England. There is an afterword that speaks in detail of the man and his time in England after earning his freedom. This section proved more insightful than the main story.
I love historical fiction as well as true life narratives. I also love children’s fiction. So when these two come together in one package, I am usually very impressed. This time though, I find myself disappointed. The story just didn’t touch me the way I expected it to.
Equiano’s life is no doubt inspiring. He doesn’t lose his presence of mind even under the most disturbing circumstances. He is a quick learner, and enterprising too. His despondency comes through as clearly as his optimistic faith in a better future. The book thus offers an interesting character study.
Equiano’s narrative ought to have rendered the reader emotional at least to some extent. However, the writing style makes the story very bland. Despite the first person narrative, we never feel connected to the lead character. Sometimes, it feels like we are just reading facts as he moves from one place to another, whether as a slave or as a free man. There is no character detailing. For instance, how does he understand every English speaker around him when he was a newly-minted slave? Why does he talk so much of his white owners/wellwishers but hardly anything of his family? What did he feel when the Brits taught him beliefs from Christianity? How did he accept such a different faith so easily? Why did he willingly get baptised? There are many such instances when the insight into the actions is almost non-existent, left at a surface-level mention.
Even more disheartening to me was the afterword that showed Equiano to be a tricky person. Though he himself was enslaved, he later doesn’t shy away from managing other slaves to ensure his own freedom and security. As I wasn’t aware of Olaudah Equiano, I expected his story to be similar to that of Solomon Northup in terms of intensity, though the circumstances of the two men and their slavery were vastly different. But when the “hero” proved to be a cocky opportunist, I lost any interest in seeking a happy ending for him.
All in all, it does seem like an important story from the darker days of history. I just wish it had made me feel a bit more empathetic towards Equiano, allowing a glimpse of the person behind the facts.
3 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the DRC of “Journey Back to Freedom: The Olaudah Equiano Story”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Content Warning: There are a few disturbing events in the content. There is mention of a female slave being muzzled; one person gets shot during a battle and the bullet goes right through his cheek; several references are made to slaves being tortured; and of course, we have Equiano’s forced kidnapping at a young age. The book is officially meant for ages 9+, but some of these facts might be too traumatising for sensitive young readers.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745 in Essaka, in what is today a part of Nigeria. When he was eleven, he, along with his sister, was kidnapped by slave traders and taken to the Caribbean. He was sold multiple times as a slave, once to a British Royal Navy officer. This experience impact his life the most. Equiano turned out to be very enterprising, and with his small savings and gains from local trade, he purchased his freedom and settled in London. He later became part of the Sons of Africa, an abolitionist group composed of Africans living in Britain. The story is written in the first person perspective of Equiano, and bases many facts on the information in his memoir.
The story begins with a very brief look into Equiano’s early years and covers his journey through the Caribbean and England. There is an afterword that speaks in detail of the man and his time in England after earning his freedom. This section proved more insightful than the main story.
I love historical fiction as well as true life narratives. I also love children’s fiction. So when these two come together in one package, I am usually very impressed. This time though, I find myself disappointed. The story just didn’t touch me the way I expected it to.
Equiano’s life is no doubt inspiring. He doesn’t lose his presence of mind even under the most disturbing circumstances. He is a quick learner, and enterprising too. His despondency comes through as clearly as his optimistic faith in a better future. The book thus offers an interesting character study.
Equiano’s narrative ought to have rendered the reader emotional at least to some extent. However, the writing style makes the story very bland. Despite the first person narrative, we never feel connected to the lead character. Sometimes, it feels like we are just reading facts as he moves from one place to another, whether as a slave or as a free man. There is no character detailing. For instance, how does he understand every English speaker around him when he was a newly-minted slave? Why does he talk so much of his white owners/wellwishers but hardly anything of his family? What did he feel when the Brits taught him beliefs from Christianity? How did he accept such a different faith so easily? Why did he willingly get baptised? There are many such instances when the insight into the actions is almost non-existent, left at a surface-level mention.
Even more disheartening to me was the afterword that showed Equiano to be a tricky person. Though he himself was enslaved, he later doesn’t shy away from managing other slaves to ensure his own freedom and security. As I wasn’t aware of Olaudah Equiano, I expected his story to be similar to that of Solomon Northup in terms of intensity, though the circumstances of the two men and their slavery were vastly different. But when the “hero” proved to be a cocky opportunist, I lost any interest in seeking a happy ending for him.
All in all, it does seem like an important story from the darker days of history. I just wish it had made me feel a bit more empathetic towards Equiano, allowing a glimpse of the person behind the facts.
3 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the DRC of “Journey Back to Freedom: The Olaudah Equiano Story”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Content Warning: There are a few disturbing events in the content. There is mention of a female slave being muzzled; one person gets shot during a battle and the bullet goes right through his cheek; several references are made to slaves being tortured; and of course, we have Equiano’s forced kidnapping at a young age. The book is officially meant for ages 9+, but some of these facts might be too traumatising for sensitive young readers.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
August 31, 2022
I wanted to love this more but was left with mixed feelings.
It was no doubt an informative and illuminating read since I did not know who Olaudah Equiano was at first, so thank you for that. The book draws attention to an important part of history when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved as well as the cruelty they were forced to endure. It doesn't hold back in the unsavoury details but was not overly descriptive either, so I find the balance to be appropriate for the book's intended audience.
The story is told through Olaudah Equiano's perspective as imagined by the author, which is where things get tricky for me. Despite his circumstances, Equiano seems to view many things with awe and boylike wonder e.g. his eagerness for "battle". Perhaps it was to show the protagonist's child-like innocence or his little moments of reprieve, and while I'm glad this book isn't 'trauma porn', the overall vibe felt weird to me.
The fact that Equiano is a flawed and complicated character is further evident in how he apparently went on to manage/own slaves. The author's note states: "He was against slavery, but he enslaved and exploited other people to gain his freedom." I would have liked to see such complexities reflected in the story and Equiano as a character.
Overall, this is an interesting read that's suitable for younger/reluctant readers. Not only does the book shed light on an abhorrent time in history, it also made me want to learn more about Olaudah Equiano.
Thank you to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
It was no doubt an informative and illuminating read since I did not know who Olaudah Equiano was at first, so thank you for that. The book draws attention to an important part of history when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved as well as the cruelty they were forced to endure. It doesn't hold back in the unsavoury details but was not overly descriptive either, so I find the balance to be appropriate for the book's intended audience.
The story is told through Olaudah Equiano's perspective as imagined by the author, which is where things get tricky for me. Despite his circumstances, Equiano seems to view many things with awe and boylike wonder e.g. his eagerness for "battle". Perhaps it was to show the protagonist's child-like innocence or his little moments of reprieve, and while I'm glad this book isn't 'trauma porn', the overall vibe felt weird to me.
The fact that Equiano is a flawed and complicated character is further evident in how he apparently went on to manage/own slaves. The author's note states: "He was against slavery, but he enslaved and exploited other people to gain his freedom." I would have liked to see such complexities reflected in the story and Equiano as a character.
Overall, this is an interesting read that's suitable for younger/reluctant readers. Not only does the book shed light on an abhorrent time in history, it also made me want to learn more about Olaudah Equiano.
Thank you to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
April 22, 2024
Reads too much like a summary
August 20, 2022
(Review given in exchange for netgalley e-arc)
This book was heartbreaking, honest, eye opening and such an important book for young readers. This tells the story of a young Nigerian boy and his journey being bought and sold, as a slave, being set to work on ships. It’s a book that is so accessible to teach this vital part of history to young readers; it broke my heart even at my age so think this would be a hugely important and impactful read for younger audiences. It’s a quick and easy read - it only took me an hour to read the whole thing - but think it’s very respectfully been put together and is a fantastic read.
This book was heartbreaking, honest, eye opening and such an important book for young readers. This tells the story of a young Nigerian boy and his journey being bought and sold, as a slave, being set to work on ships. It’s a book that is so accessible to teach this vital part of history to young readers; it broke my heart even at my age so think this would be a hugely important and impactful read for younger audiences. It’s a quick and easy read - it only took me an hour to read the whole thing - but think it’s very respectfully been put together and is a fantastic read.
Read
October 6, 2022This was brutally intense and absolutely beautiful, at once.
I, personally, have never before heard of Olaudah Equiano and am glad to have found this.
I read it in one sitting and was glad about its style and that it won't involve too many details, simply because the possibility of ones own imagination, the author left, already made me tear up.
Easy language, its shortness and the author's precise research makes this book absolutely worth reading and still really memorable.
I, personally, have never before heard of Olaudah Equiano and am glad to have found this.
I read it in one sitting and was glad about its style and that it won't involve too many details, simply because the possibility of ones own imagination, the author left, already made me tear up.
Easy language, its shortness and the author's precise research makes this book absolutely worth reading and still really memorable.
July 24, 2022
Catherine Johnson’s historical fiction is meticulously researched, richly imagined and beautifully written; her latest novel is inspired by the autobiography of Equiano, and focuses on the decade in which he was captured and enslaved, before managing to buy his freedom at the age of 21.
The story begins in Africa where Johnson flushes out the sparse details provided by Equiano, portraying the terror and pain of the capture, the march to the sea and the voyage over the ocean as an enslaved ‘living ghost’. She then imagines his reactions to being repeatedly bought and sold, and to racist people who attempted to diminish him. Along with Equiano’s frustrations and moments of despair, Johnson includes uplifting and even funny moments in his many journeys and his time living in Britain. Descriptions and dialogue are at times disturbing, but the matter-of-fact delivery in this Barrington Stoke novel means that it is suitable and accessible for Year 7+ students. It will work particularly well in conjunction with a History unit about enslaved peoples & resistance, so I plan to use this with my Year 8 History class.
Johnson includes a detailed afterward which provides more details on Equiano’s life including his work to get slavery outlawed. She recognises that he was a complex person who faced awful situations, and at times made morally ambiguous decisions. Her nuanced approach will lead to thought-provoking discussions, and her engaging style means the book will fly off the shelves.
The story begins in Africa where Johnson flushes out the sparse details provided by Equiano, portraying the terror and pain of the capture, the march to the sea and the voyage over the ocean as an enslaved ‘living ghost’. She then imagines his reactions to being repeatedly bought and sold, and to racist people who attempted to diminish him. Along with Equiano’s frustrations and moments of despair, Johnson includes uplifting and even funny moments in his many journeys and his time living in Britain. Descriptions and dialogue are at times disturbing, but the matter-of-fact delivery in this Barrington Stoke novel means that it is suitable and accessible for Year 7+ students. It will work particularly well in conjunction with a History unit about enslaved peoples & resistance, so I plan to use this with my Year 8 History class.
Johnson includes a detailed afterward which provides more details on Equiano’s life including his work to get slavery outlawed. She recognises that he was a complex person who faced awful situations, and at times made morally ambiguous decisions. Her nuanced approach will lead to thought-provoking discussions, and her engaging style means the book will fly off the shelves.
December 30, 2022
This is such an interesting story about someone everyone should know about! Olaudah Equiano and his sister are enjoying having fun playing together outside when they suddenly hear sounds of something coming. The two fear what they hear and try to run away into the corn, but soon Olaudah and his sister are caught, tied up and made to walk for days until they reach the coast of Africa. There Olaudah finds himself separated from his sister and on a boat where he will begin his life as a slave to white people.
This is such a fascinating tale. Once Olaudah is purchased by someone he ends up a slave in America in the 1700s. While there he has his first encounters with Western things like paintings and clocks and I love how such things we take for granted are seen as absolutely terrifying to the young African boy. After some time Olaudah finds himself purchased again and bound for life as a slave to a man on a ship where he begins life as part of a ship’s crew. I love how Olaudah, by now renamed Gustavus, or Gus for short, ends up making friends with some of the children he meets. He ends up moving from one ship to another following his master but ends up being treated quite well by some of the crew.
As he gets older Gus eventually gets the chance to learn some skills and how to read and I love how despite the dark beginning he has, he ends up passionate about learning and also ends up loving England when he finally visits it and spends some time ashore there. This story covers the ten years of Equiano’s life, from being eleven and taken to be a slave all the way to when he is finally twenty one and I love how he grows during this time and becomes more and more determined to become free. Some wonderful things happen to him and at the same time there are moments where we see the true realities of what life was like as a slave and this book is such an amazing insight into what Equiano went though and told in such a fun and fictional way even though the story of this man is very real.
At the end of the book are author’s notes which explain more about Equiano’s life and I was surprised how this book is based on a real person who wrote his own book about his own experiences in the late 1700s and yet I’d never heard of him. This book is so interesting with such a lovely ending and the author’s notes expand on what happened later in Equiano’s life which I found really interesting and made me want to read his book. ‘Journey Back to Freedom’ is dyslexia-friendly which means it’s printed on a thicker paper which is yellowish in colour with larger text and a and special font used which makes reading it easier. Paragraphs of text are separated too making it much easier to read for dyslexics and anyone with visual problems too. It’s also quite a short read at less than 110 making it a great read for those reluctant to pick up bigger books if they find them daunting.
Overall this is such a great book and introduces a character we should all have learned about in school. I can’t believe such an important black man in British history, who was also involved in trying to abolish slavery, has not been more heard about before. I’m ashamed of the education I got at school and this is one of those books that needs to be in school libraries as it introduces his story but in such an easy to enjoy and understand way. There is one use of the n word in the book but in context it makes sense it being there and it’s just such an interesting and brilliant way of learning about this important black figure in British history.
-Thanks to Barrington Stoke for a free copy
This is such a fascinating tale. Once Olaudah is purchased by someone he ends up a slave in America in the 1700s. While there he has his first encounters with Western things like paintings and clocks and I love how such things we take for granted are seen as absolutely terrifying to the young African boy. After some time Olaudah finds himself purchased again and bound for life as a slave to a man on a ship where he begins life as part of a ship’s crew. I love how Olaudah, by now renamed Gustavus, or Gus for short, ends up making friends with some of the children he meets. He ends up moving from one ship to another following his master but ends up being treated quite well by some of the crew.
As he gets older Gus eventually gets the chance to learn some skills and how to read and I love how despite the dark beginning he has, he ends up passionate about learning and also ends up loving England when he finally visits it and spends some time ashore there. This story covers the ten years of Equiano’s life, from being eleven and taken to be a slave all the way to when he is finally twenty one and I love how he grows during this time and becomes more and more determined to become free. Some wonderful things happen to him and at the same time there are moments where we see the true realities of what life was like as a slave and this book is such an amazing insight into what Equiano went though and told in such a fun and fictional way even though the story of this man is very real.
At the end of the book are author’s notes which explain more about Equiano’s life and I was surprised how this book is based on a real person who wrote his own book about his own experiences in the late 1700s and yet I’d never heard of him. This book is so interesting with such a lovely ending and the author’s notes expand on what happened later in Equiano’s life which I found really interesting and made me want to read his book. ‘Journey Back to Freedom’ is dyslexia-friendly which means it’s printed on a thicker paper which is yellowish in colour with larger text and a and special font used which makes reading it easier. Paragraphs of text are separated too making it much easier to read for dyslexics and anyone with visual problems too. It’s also quite a short read at less than 110 making it a great read for those reluctant to pick up bigger books if they find them daunting.
Overall this is such a great book and introduces a character we should all have learned about in school. I can’t believe such an important black man in British history, who was also involved in trying to abolish slavery, has not been more heard about before. I’m ashamed of the education I got at school and this is one of those books that needs to be in school libraries as it introduces his story but in such an easy to enjoy and understand way. There is one use of the n word in the book but in context it makes sense it being there and it’s just such an interesting and brilliant way of learning about this important black figure in British history.
-Thanks to Barrington Stoke for a free copy
June 30, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for the advanced copy to review.
I struggled to love this book as much as I truly wanted to- as a former history teacher, I loved the idea of a book about Olaudah Equiano especially since we know quite a bit about him from his own book. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a high-low book as I did grow frustrated at the relative superficiality of the content. It touched on so many topics but never delved very deeply in Olaudah’s struggle or the realities of history during this time. Yes, it’s absolutely a kids’ book about content that is difficult to grasp, and I think it’s appropriate for younger readers, but there were so many times where the content just seemed to fall a bit short or miss a significant broader point that could have been made with a couple of extra sentences. My hope is that this short book will plant a seed that will push children to dig into Equiano’s story more thoroughly. For a child who is interested in history, this book is a good start and tells the generally true story about a real man who suffered greatly but persevered to overcome so much. Overall, I think the book hits the mark of being short enough to hold the attention of a reluctant readers as well as presenting an interesting story in an easy to read format; I just wish that a little extra attention was paid to flesh out more of the content.
I struggled to love this book as much as I truly wanted to- as a former history teacher, I loved the idea of a book about Olaudah Equiano especially since we know quite a bit about him from his own book. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a high-low book as I did grow frustrated at the relative superficiality of the content. It touched on so many topics but never delved very deeply in Olaudah’s struggle or the realities of history during this time. Yes, it’s absolutely a kids’ book about content that is difficult to grasp, and I think it’s appropriate for younger readers, but there were so many times where the content just seemed to fall a bit short or miss a significant broader point that could have been made with a couple of extra sentences. My hope is that this short book will plant a seed that will push children to dig into Equiano’s story more thoroughly. For a child who is interested in history, this book is a good start and tells the generally true story about a real man who suffered greatly but persevered to overcome so much. Overall, I think the book hits the mark of being short enough to hold the attention of a reluctant readers as well as presenting an interesting story in an easy to read format; I just wish that a little extra attention was paid to flesh out more of the content.
September 29, 2022
In honour of Black History Month, award-winning author Catherine Johnson recounts the early life of Olaudah Equiano.
Born in what is now Nigeria in 1745, Equiano’s peaceful childhood was brought to an abrupt end when he was captured and enslaved aged 11. He spent much of the next ten years of his life at sea, seeing action in the Seven Years’ War.
When he was finally able to buy his freedom, he went on to become a prominent member of the abolition movement and in 1789 published one of the first books by a Black African writer. ‘Journey Back to Freedom’ focuses on Equiano’s early life, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit and one man’s determination to be free.
This fascinating piece of narrative non-fiction is told from Equiano’s perspective and offers important insights into the shocking injustice and prejudice that prevailed during this period.
The book is presented as a slim volume in a dyslexia-friendly format (buff pages, dyslexia-friendly font, wider spacing) which is accessible to a larger number of young readers. The pages are beautifully illustrated to help the reader track changes in setting, and as with all Barrington Stoke publications, the story is highly-engaging and fast-moving.
I think that readers will enjoy learning about both the challenges faced by Olaudah Equiano and the way that his determination, patience and willingness to work to improve his situation, allowed him to overcome hardships both for himself and others.
Interest age: 9+ Reading age: 8 Dyslexia-friendly format.
Born in what is now Nigeria in 1745, Equiano’s peaceful childhood was brought to an abrupt end when he was captured and enslaved aged 11. He spent much of the next ten years of his life at sea, seeing action in the Seven Years’ War.
When he was finally able to buy his freedom, he went on to become a prominent member of the abolition movement and in 1789 published one of the first books by a Black African writer. ‘Journey Back to Freedom’ focuses on Equiano’s early life, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit and one man’s determination to be free.
This fascinating piece of narrative non-fiction is told from Equiano’s perspective and offers important insights into the shocking injustice and prejudice that prevailed during this period.
The book is presented as a slim volume in a dyslexia-friendly format (buff pages, dyslexia-friendly font, wider spacing) which is accessible to a larger number of young readers. The pages are beautifully illustrated to help the reader track changes in setting, and as with all Barrington Stoke publications, the story is highly-engaging and fast-moving.
I think that readers will enjoy learning about both the challenges faced by Olaudah Equiano and the way that his determination, patience and willingness to work to improve his situation, allowed him to overcome hardships both for himself and others.
Interest age: 9+ Reading age: 8 Dyslexia-friendly format.
September 3, 2022
It is true that most of the best stories are based on fact. I explained this to the children before we started to read this gripping book. They were so shocked and annoyed by the treatment and attitudes in this book we had to stop for a while and kick a football about in the garden to burn off some energy ! It is a stunning book showing the best and the worst of the human spirit. The author should be very proud. This should be on every school bookshelf to promote discussion . We do enjoy these book by the publisher Barrington Stokes as they make powerful book accessible to the whole family regardless of age and reading ability.
September 5, 2022
This is an engaging story, a wonderful retelling for children of a story from a book that we read several years ago. I found it very easy to read and well done. It’s a tragic story of a young man kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave. It is also a story of hope, as this young man found a way to work to buy his freedom. He did not become bitter from his experiences, but continued to try to help people even though some were not kind to him. This is an inspiring book which I plan to read to my children quite soon.
I received a review copy of this book from [Book Provider], and these are my honest thoughts about it.
I received a review copy of this book from [Book Provider], and these are my honest thoughts about it.
October 14, 2023
A dyslexia-friendly, quick-step account of Olaudah Equiano, a young slave who was traded across the world, meeting extreme hardship, making human connections, never giving up his dream of freedom and education. It doesn't linger on descriptions, but punches with real human emotion. It's an adventure. And when you realise it's a true story, it's also an ordeal, a struggle, a scar in human history. I read with a lump in my throat. Highly recommend.
August 21, 2022
Journey Back to Freedom by Catherine Johnson is a historical fiction account of Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian boy who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.
Geared towards young to middle grade readers Catherine Johnson does a good job telling the remarkable story Olaudah’s journey as a slave to being a free man . Throughly researched and fast paced this book is sure to keep the young reader engaged. and hopefully wanting to learn more about Olaudah’s life.
Geared towards young to middle grade readers Catherine Johnson does a good job telling the remarkable story Olaudah’s journey as a slave to being a free man . Throughly researched and fast paced this book is sure to keep the young reader engaged. and hopefully wanting to learn more about Olaudah’s life.
October 23, 2022
A great story again with such depth of background which gives you an aspect and a person from history who you might not otherwise know. Love that Barrington Stoke make it so accessible aa a read without compromsing on any quality. I learned so much from reading this.
July 14, 2023
A good introduction to the history and feelings of enslaved people for kids, but not much value for the adult reader (aka, neither "new" info nor emotional connection to this rather blandly written story)
July 17, 2022
An incredible read about someone I had never heard of before and it was a brutal but important story. I read it in one sitting.
February 8, 2023
Great story and easy to read!
December 25, 2023
Lyssnade på ett poddavsnitt om Olaudah Equiano och förstod att han skrivit en "självbiografi". Denna bok är dock en ungdomsversion i kort format, men väl värd att läsa som intro till Olaudahs liv. Det blir att läsa den riktiga versionen till näst.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews