Freedom's Song

August 1, 2021

It's 1860, and white singer Fanny Beck's term of indentured servitude is over, but her master has no intention of releasing the prized riverboat performer. When a tragic fire grounds the River Peacock, Fanny makes her escape and falls in with a group of fugitive enslaved people seeking their own freedom in the North. The company lift each other up on the long and arduous journey. When Fanny makes it as far as Indiana, she hears a baby crying and finds widower Walter Kuhn trying to manage a homestead farm and young daughter on his own. What begins as a relationship of convenience turns into something deeper as Fanny and Walter work hard to make a place for themselves. VERDICT Sawyer ("Heart of the Prairie" series) captures a yearning spirit associated with the American West in hardworking, earnest characters who strengthen their faith through song and personal introspection. There are few surprises here, but fans of traditional Christian fiction will find much to like.--Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 9, 2021
Sawyer (Echoes of Mercy) again digs into history in this enjoyable faith-filled adventure about an indentured servant on a popular riverboat. In 1860, Fanny Beck is the star singer aboard the River Peacock steamboat, but also a prisoner between shows, as she’s indentured to Sloan Kirkpatrick for a seven-year contract. Fanny dreams of escape, praying that one day she’ll reunite with her family in New York City. Then Fanny learns that Sloan plans not to honor the end date of the contract, and, when a fire breaks out on the boat, she escapes. Fanny’s long trek to freedom includes traveling with a family of escaped slaves, sleeping aboard train cars, and singing for money—and then Sloan pursues her upon learning she survived the fire. After Fanny arrives in Gideon, Ind., she finds a sobbing child alone in a cabin and meets the girl’s father, Walter Kuhn, who recently injured himself. He works out a deal for Fanny to care for the girl in order to earn train fare until Walter’s mail-order bride arrives. But plans change when a relationship between the two kindles. Sawyer’s episodic narrative and rich assortment of characters fighting for freedom provide the story with many twists and unexpected side-plots. The author’s fans will love this.