War Comes to Willy Freeman

The first book in The Arabus Family Trilogy by the Collier brothers introduces a Connecticut family of free blacks during the Revolutionary War. Willy Freeman sees her freedom jeopardized when her father dies in battle and her mother disappears. Sean Crisden tells the story in Willy's own words, but since the listener knows she's a girl passing as a boy, his male voice seems out of place. Some listeners may also be put off by the book's liberal use of racist language--although it's authentic to the time and place. An extensive author's note at the end separates fact from fiction, helping young listeners get an accurate picture of the times in the context of well-researched historical fiction. N.E.M.