Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself

Using the historic autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself as this book's source material, educators Edinger (Africa Is My Home) and Younge, a debut author, craft a moving found-verse narrative that draws from the subject's life to deliver an expansive and textured telling. In this significant adaptation, the authors mirror Equiano's chronological trajectory to outline his early life "in that part of Guinea, Africa... where trade for slaves is carried on"; his time as an enslaved person, during which he "determined to seize the first opportunity/ of making my escape"; and his later occupation as a free abolitionist. According to an introduction, the creators reorganized "a selection of words, phrases, and sentences" from Equiano's text into new and succinct passages, providing an effective and unusual through line to the original. Brief sidebars throughout offer historical context, ensuring that readers grasp the gravity of the subject's experiences. Without losing the source text's emotional heft, Edinger and Younge's visceral poems respectfully provide an effective entry point into the seminal work. A timeline, glossary, and extensive notes conclude. Ages 10-up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. (Mar.)

Gr 7 Up--Olaudah Equiano, born in West Africa in 1745, was captured and enslaved as a preteen and forced to work at sea. He was afforded unique opportunities while enslaved, taught to read, and able to earn wages. At 21, Equiano bought his freedom. After this, he often swore off working at sea only to find he had no other way to support himself. The authors don't shy away from Equiano's complicated relationship with slavery; he often had to work on ships carrying enslaved Africans. In 1789, he published his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which became very popular and is still in print today. With this success, he was finally able to support himself and family away from the sea. He went on to become one of the most influential antislavery activists in England. Using text found in his autobiography, Edinger and Younge recreate Equiano's life story as a found verse narrative. In this form, the story makes for compelling reading that moves quickly. The story is broken up with useful sidebars giving background information. It is well documented with a time line, glossary, source notes, bibliography, and further reading. VERDICT This important and unique work introduces this pivotal man to a new audience and will make for interesting classroom discussions. Strongly recommended.--Karen T. Bilton

"This moving found-verse adaptation of the formerly enslaved Equiano's 1789 memoir makes a seminal work of history accessible to young readers."—New York Times Book Review