Quick Overview of Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Slavery in the U.S. is commonly discussed within the context of the Civil War, yet the cultural struggle to end its practice began during the Revolutionary War.  Excerpts from diaries, public notices and letters from such notable Revolutionary figures as Thomas Paine, and British General Howe, and from common folk, slaves, and poet Phillis Wheatley, preface each chapter in the historical novel, Chains.

Anderson narrates a tale of resilience and courage through the life of a young female slave, Isabel, living in the wealthy home of King George sympathizers during the Revolutionary War.  Isabel suffers the combined misery of slavery and attending to a cruel mistress, while befriending a fellow slave and aiding the Rebellion.   She draws upon her own resourcefulness, ability to read, and the kind-heartedness of others to nurture her independent spirit and eventual escape.

The novel deftly blends historic fact with an inspiring coming-of-age story that easily allows the reader to become immersed in the language and society of the mid 18th century.  Anderson also establishes a strong female protagonist in Isabel, similar to her character, Mattie in her book, Fever, 1776.  Both Isabel and Mattie must navigate through hostile territory, suffer near-death experiences, and abandon their childhood innocence.  The continuing adventure of Isabel's escape as a runaway slave, romantically linked to her rescued friend and fellow slave, Curzon, will soon be published in a forthcoming volume, Forge.