An account of the abolitionist, liberator, and writer Thomas Smallwood, who bought his own freedom, led hundreds out of slavery, and named the underground railroad.
Combin[es] the best elements of rigorously researched history and thrilling narrative ... A gripping story told at a brisk pace in the no-fuss prose of a practiced reporter, is a model of the advantages that journalists can bring to the writing of history ... Only occasionally in this otherwise excellent book do some of Shane’s more editorializing comments grate ... The kind of story we sorely need at a time when there is no shortage of opportunities for inspiring acts of heroism.
Gripping ... Not a general history of the Underground Railroad. Mr. Shane says relatively little about the well-established network of underground activists ... Stands on its own, however, as both a thrilling portrait of the underground in action and as an inspiring demonstration of the extraordinary personal courage and sacrifice that activists demanded of themselves.
