Chains: A Book about Slavery in the Northern Colonies

Most books about slavery seem to deal with slavery in the southern colonies/states. Thus, many people believe that slavery was not an issue in the northern states around the time of the American Revolution. Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is told from the point of view of Isabel, a young Negro 'tween, and gives 'tweens and teens a personalized trip into the life of a girl who experienced slavery under kindly owners and under more abusive owners in the North.  It is a book that deals with separation from family in Rhode Island and life as a slave in New York City.  It deals with the death of a mother, and the sale of a sister.  It also deals with the politics of the time--especially how both the rebels and the British military used American slaves to further their own aims.  Even Isabel became embroiled in the politics, despite a vow to stay away from them.  But Chains is also a story of caring, which sometimes came from unlikely sources.

Chains, aside from being an interesting fictionalized historical journal, is narrated by Isabel in the language of the times.  The story spans about eight months of the revolutionary period, from May of 1776 through January of 1777.  During this period, British soldiers in New York took over homes of wealthier colonial rebels after reestablishing British control, and allowed less affluent Tories (British sympathizers) to do the same.  This period was a time of heavy American losses in the fight for freedom--but freedom can mean more than political separation from a country far across the seas.

In Chains, each chapter is introduced with an important quotation from patriots, newspaper items, and the Declaration of Independence, or an excerpt from actual letters found in historical archives.  These sources range from familiar names such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and King George, to unknown British and American soldiers, Tories, and unknown Londoners.  Despite the colloquialisms of the time, the language is easy to understand.  Many readers will be interested in how American English has both changed and endured.

Of particular interest to me was the descriptions of life in revolutionary New York City.  Some of the sites mentioned by Isabel exist today only as plaques, but the names of neighborhoods in lower Manhattan remain the same.  It is difficult for modern New Yorkers and visitors to imagine parts of Manhattan--especially upper Manhattan--s wilderness, but large cities during this period were not what large cities are today, and the author reminds us of this.

Chains is an excellent book for readers 10 and older, and is good enough to hold the interest of adults. Whether Chains is read during Black History Month or another part of the year, it is an great read.  But adults should be warned--you might learn something new!
















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