Across the Wide River is a great fictitious retelling of the Rankin family's life in Ohio helping slaves escape to freedom. Told from Lowry's perspective, this is a great story of how even the youngest can be used to do great things. Stephanie Reed weaves in details about the period that make the book more authentic. A few chapters turned a bit more "history lesson" and - while interesting - didn't seem to add much to Lowry's story. However, young teens will enjoy this book for the incredible story as well as for the historical lessons.
I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for my fair and honest review.
About the Book
The red brick home of Rev. John Rankin is a beacon--the first northern stop on the Underground Railroad. Across the Ohio River in Kentucky, every slave knows to look for it. They have heard that if they reach that house, they will never be captured. Across the Wide River tells the true story of the selfless sacrifices one Christian family made to help runaway slaves reach freedom.
About the Author
During her childhood, Stephanie Reed's family would often pass through Ripley, Ohio, on their way to her grandparents' home. The signs she read there about the Rankin house were what prompted her to write Across the Wide River and The Light Across the River. Stephanie is a Latchkey teacher. She worked for the Dayton (Ohio) Metro Library system for nine years. Stephanie, her husband, and two children live in Dublin, Ohio.
Thanks, Brooke! I hope you and your readers will sample both Across the Wide River and the sequel, The Light Across the River-- they can do it free here: http://bit.ly/rdRKvp
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading.