BOOK GIVEAWAY! THE SOUNDS OF FREEDOM COMING, A Picture book by By Valarie Short

Welcome to Poetry Friday, this week hosted by poet Tanita Davis. HERE. Thanks Tanita for hosting!

BOOK GIVAWAY! One lucky person commenting below in this post during the next week will receive a free copy of THE SOUNDS OF FREEDOM COMING.

I’d like to shout out about a picture book. about an event took place on October 1, 1851, a year after the Fugitive Slave Law of 1950 was passed. This law was intended to appease slave owners, angry about their “property” disappearing. Now, the U.S. Marshals were allowed cross borders into free states, like New York, and capture fugitive enslaved people. Daniel Webster, the Secretary of State for President Fillmore, came to Syracuse and warned the citizens, threatening them not to resist.

The fugitive carpenter named William Henry, known as Jerry, was captured making barrels in his cooperage. He was jailed, but abolitionists were ready, and later in the night Jerry was busted from jail. Thousands of townspeople showed up in the streets.

He successfully made it to Canada and freedom.

There is a sculpture in the heart of town dedicated to the Jerry Rescue. I have seen a short film at the Historical Society about the Jerry Rescue, but not a children’s book.

Valarie Short, a playwright, could HEAR the story in her head. All the noise in the streets. She decided to tell the story, collaborating with her niece artist Valencia Short. It’s called the THE SOUNDS OF FREEDOM COMING.

THE COVER. JERRY AT WORK

AUTHOR VALARIE SHORT

The book begins on a beautiful fall day in the midst of an Agricultural fair in Syracuse.

“It was October 1, 1851. Colorful leaves floated down and crunched underfoot, squirrels busily gathered nuts and birds flew south ahead of the long winter.”

“Now Jerry was hard at work in Morrell’s Cooperage Shop, where they made barrels to transport salt and other goods down the Erie Canal.”

“Jerry had his back to the door and did not see the police buggy approaching.”

The rest of the story is action-packed. Jerry is taken to jail, Crowds show up, he runs and is aided by freedom fighters and smuggled on to Canada.

In the end, we see that he is free in Canada.

“Finally, Jerry was free to make choices about how to live his own life and to do the things that made him happy. AH . . . FREEDOM. “

A story about government stealing freedom resonates now, as our government tries to divided us by race.

A brief interview with Valarie Short

JS

Why did you chose to self publish SOUNDS OF FREEDOM COMING?

VS

“Because my husband, Robert, and I felt the story was important and wanted to tell it and get it to children. Self publshing seemed more expedient. We saw that fewer and fewer people we spoke to knew about the Jerry Rescue.”

JS

“How did being a playwright influence you?”

VS

“For me, as a playwright, I could hear the story, Jerry’s hammer building barrels, the horses on the street. I could imagine what that day looked like and sounded like. Also I enjoyed working with my niece, Valencia, who contributed to the illustrations.

I hope that librarians and teachers will consider sharing this book in their libraries and classrooms.”

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Thank you, Tanita, for hosting. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Pasa Robles, California