Tonya C. Hegamin

This is the saddest children's book ever. It is the story of a girl who's mother is a field slave and who is sent by the mother onto the underground railroad with a handmade quilt to help guide her way and to remember that her mother loved her. I cried. In context is is a fascinating book of love told to children who's parents cannot care for them, giving them hope that the parents wanted better for their children then what they had to offer. The quilt pieces and dark, rich illustrations lend to the heartbreaking nature of the story.… (más)

From the first page, I could feel the constricting world Willow lives in, and it was both fascinating and painful.
The book is slow paced, with not much happening but description of life at Knotwild, with the owner being as good as a slave owner can be in that time, especially compared to the terrible neighbour, while still being cruel.
Willow's entire world is the relatively 'good' and 'kind' Knotwild, with her father and the other slaves and she is reluctant to leave it behind, out of fear for worse and love for the people she know.
As the story goes on, the terrible world of that time closes in on both the reader and Willow, getting more and more constricting by the page.
A beautifully written story, highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC and this review is based on the proof.… (más)

A little girl details her daily life with her mother as slaves. Everyday her and her mother work hard, sometimes coming home whipped and beaten, but every night her mother works on a quilt. One night the little girl is taken into the woods by her mother where she is told she will leave for freedom. Her mother does not go and stays behind to help others escape slavery. Before she leaves her mother gives her the quilt, telling her the meaning behind each image, she had this to remember her by and hold onto.
The setting of the story is on a plantation during slavery. Neither the mother nor the little girl telling the story is ever given a name. This was done intentionally and has a powerful effect. So many people during this time showed immense bravery and, in a way, sacrificed their own freedom so they could help others escape, like the mother in the story. I think the author did this to pay tribute to the brave people during this time period that did exactly what mother did in the story and who were never recognized or acknowledge for their sacrifices. Everything about this book, the illustrations and words used, reflect a powerful message and do a great job at paying tribute to the people of the time.… (más)

This book tells of an enslaved girl who's mother is an agent for the Underground Railroad. The girl doesn't know her mom is an agent; after working the in the fields each day, the mother and daughter go home and the mother works on a quilt. She sews clothes to make different images on the blanket: a log cabin, a star, a tree with green on one side, and a little girl. The mother tells her daughter what each symbol means- the log cabin means the location is safe, the star tells people to look for the brightest star (the north star) so they can follow it north, the tree with green tells people that moss only grows on the north side of the tree, and the little girl is her daughter, who is the most loved in all the world. Later that night, the mom wakes up the girl, and takes her into the forest. The mother signals other people to come out, all of which are members of the Underground Railroad. The mother makes her daughter go with them to the north, while she has to stay on the plantation so she can help other enslaved black people get to freedom. The mother gives her daughter the quilt she made, so the girl can remember how to make it north, as well as remember how much her mother loves her. The setting of a plantation in the south drives the mother to make this quilt for her daughter, so she can get her to freedom. At one point, when the mother is whipped, her daughter asks her if she can help in the fields, so her mother doesn't have to work as much. I'm sure the mother realized that the environment they're in is not one she wants her daughter to grow up in, and the thought of her daughter being whipped and overworked causes her to cry. This story is excellent, though extremely sorrowful. Its hard to imagine a mother sending her child away without her, but during that time period, it was necessary. The mother's love for her daughter shines through the quilt-like illustrations on the pages, which all add to the story's emotional impact. Though I think this story is written with younger children in mind, I would definitely recommend it for adults to read as well.… (más)