Why read Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt?

Book cover of Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Book description

An inspiring tale of creativity and determination on the Underground Railroad from Coretta Scott King Award winner James Ransome and acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson.

Clara, a slave and seamstress on Home Plantation, dreams of freedom—not just for herself, but for her family and friends. When she overhears a conversation about…

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Historical fiction

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Why read it?

1 author picked Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Susan Goldman Rubin

Author

Clara’s story is powerful and suspenseful. Written in the first person, she tells about her life as an enslaved twelve-year-old girl who has been separated from her Momma and sent from North Farm to the Home Plantation. Although this is fiction, it is based on the history of African American quilters. For Clara, quilting means drawing a map with stitches and fabric that ultimately becomes a “freedom map,” enabling her to escape with her friend, Young Jack, and find her Momma and freedom. The warm, luminous illustrations by James Ransome bring Clara, Young Jack, and her map to life. Ransome…

From Susan's list on quilting created by African American women.