September was a very hectic month with the kids heading back to school and swimming, with my campaign for school board trustee and catching up at work after summer holidays.  Up from Freedom was the ONLY book that I was able to finish in September!

This book was written by Canadian author Wayne Grady who did not discover his own black family history until he was an adult.  It tells the story of the son of a slave own, protesting against his father’s treatment of slaves.  He leaves, taking a female slave with him who he later discovers was pregnant.  The trio live together as a family and after their “family” falls apart, he questions their relationships, where his “wife” really felt free in their relationship as he headed out to search for her son.

I enjoyed meeting Grady at the Grimsby Authors Series and learning that this book was inspired by a family story.  It was well-written and a book that helps readers reflect on the terrible history of slavery.