It was everywhere. You couldn't talk about the revolution without using the word freedom in the same breath. But Gideon Jackson knew that freedom meant something different if your skin was black. Fast's fictional account of the post Civil War era takes us into the life of Gideon Jackson, a black man, newly freed, and determined to make a difference.
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"This book not only had a significant impact on how I viewed Reconstruction in the US but it helped to springboard my love for African American History and history in general. A wonderful book I would incorporate into any discussion regarding the era and social changes taking place. Love it!!!!"
— Lisa (5 out of 5 stars)
" There are very few books that I can honestly say changed my life forever but this is one of them. It's the story of overcoming adversity and how when the disenfranchised work together and over come their differences there is nothing they can't accomplish. "
— Leslie, 8/26/2013" Things i wanted to know about........ "
— Jacquelyn, 4/21/2013" Reconstruction story... Freedom is not black or white... "
— Ky, 3/14/2013" A book that makes the injustice of the end of reconstruction real. While the actual story is fiction, the story happened all over the south (with references). "
— Dave, 11/12/2012" This book provoked the strongest emotional reaction I've ever had to a book. Made me furious; I've read it 3 times. "
— Bill, 9/22/2012" This is the first book I read that got me interested in civil rights. Such an inspiring story. "
— Kate, 9/1/2012" WOW! im not much of a fan of the civil war but this book is on the aftermath and the start of the Reconstruction. It introduces the KKK and how life was for a Black person of the era and the first Black mens of Congress. I didnt expect to like it but I did and i cried. "
— Caitlyn, 7/16/2012" Excellent historical fiction about the Reconstruction after the Civil War. "
— Nicholasmiller82, 3/5/2012" Some might argue that Fast is just playing with your emotions, but its feasibility forgives its fictional state. "
— Heidy, 9/24/2011" One of the best and yet most tragic books I have ever read. For those interested in antebellum history and the early civil rights movements, I highly recommend this books. Fair warning however, it will make you cry. "
— Katie, 7/16/2011" WOW! im not much of a fan of the civil war but this book is on the aftermath and the start of the Reconstruction. It introduces the KKK and how life was for a Black person of the era and the first Black mens of Congress. I didnt expect to like it but I did and i cried. "
— Caitlyn, 7/9/2011" Reconstruction story... Freedom is not black or white... "
— Ky, 8/20/2009" There are very few books that I can honestly say changed my life forever but this is one of them. It's the story of overcoming adversity and how when the disenfranchised work together and over come their differences there is nothing they can't accomplish. "
— Leslie, 3/7/2009" This book provoked the strongest emotional reaction I've ever had to a book. Made me furious; I've read it 3 times. "
— Bill, 3/20/2008" Excellent historical fiction about the Reconstruction after the Civil War. "
— Nicholasmiller82, 1/10/2008" This is the first book I read that got me interested in civil rights. Such an inspiring story. "
— Kate, 11/16/2007" Some might argue that Fast is just playing with your emotions, but its feasibility forgives its fictional state. "
— Heidy, 5/27/2007Howard Fast (1914–2003) was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, he grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, he wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus. Throughout his long career, he matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.
Norman Dietz is a writer, voice-over artist, and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Earphones Awards and was named one of the fifty “Best Voices of the Century” by AudioFile magazine. He and his late wife, Sandra, transformed an abandoned ice-cream parlor into a playhouse, which served “the world’s best hot fudge sundaes” before and after performances. The founder of Theatre in the Works, he lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.