15. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008)

GENRE: Historical

HONORS: Cybil Award, National Book Award Finalist, Parents’ Choice Award, Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

REVIEW:

Born slaves, Isabel and her younger sister Ruth feel some hope when their master dies, knowing that her will indicated their freedom.  However, when their master’s nephew decides to sell them to a couple in New York, the Locktons, Isabel and Ruth are subjected to much harsher treatment than they have ever received.  Discovering that Ruth has epileptic fits, Mrs. Lockton tells Isabel that she sold her to a plantation owner in the Caribbean.  With the year being 1776, New York is in the middle of the Revolutionary War, forcing Americans to declare allegiance either to the Loyalists or the Patriots.  Believing that a Patriot general will help get her freedom, Isabel agrees to spy for the Patriot side, but soon finds that the general cannot deliver and Mrs. Lockton subjects her to a horrific punishment.  However, not even Mrs. Lockton can hold Isabel down as she takes off to search for her sister.

OPINION:

Just as with Anderson’s other novels that I’ve had the pleasure to read, Chains is a wonderful book written in first-person, allowing readers to feel the main character’s emotions.  This book is an eye-opening account of the acceptance of slavery during a time when Americans were fighting for their own freedom.  While there have been many stories detailing the treatment of slaves in the South, Chains brings awareness of the existence of slavery in the North, as well, supported by both Loyalists and Patriots.  Anderson includes quotes from the time at the beginning of each chapter, connecting the story to real-life events.  One particular quote by Thomas Jefferson seems to sum up the general opinion about slavery: “But as it is, we have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go.  Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other” (p. 141).  This quote helps identify the troubles that Isabel experiences as she tries to find someone to help her.  Because the Americans would surely have self-preservation as a greater priority, Isabel is very much left on her own and readers are drawn in to her story, hoping that she will be able to find her sister and gain freedom.

IDEAS:

This book would be perfect for library displays about the Revolutionary War and slavery, as well as a display featuring historical novels for tweens.