Description: Set in 1833 Lexington, Kentucky, this historical coming-of-age novel for young readers features resonant themes and topics--slavery, abolition, racism, prejudice, class consciousness, a devastating epidemic, and deep personal loss--as its thirteen-year-old white female narrator fights injustice and uncertainty with integrity, love, and hope.
Review Quotes: "Although hard things happen in this novel, The Freethinkers Daughter is not a maudlin tale. Not only does Cal show great strength of character, she is also a young girl of impressive convictions. Readers can't help but cheer her on as she grows into an abolitionist and champion for others. This is an important book. Cal is a model of what it means to be an ally to Black people crushed under the weight of systemic racism in one of the most shameful periods in American history. Young people who want to support and advocate for anyone forced to live in the margins can benefit from Cal's example. She also teaches readers, especially girls, important lessons on standing in their power despite opposition, and both trusting and using their voice for change. Read it, then go and do good."--Claudia Love Mair, coordinator for the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative, author of Don't You Fall Now: A Memoir, and (as Claudia Mair Burney) author of the Exorsistah YA series