- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Dutton Children Books (Jan 25 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0525255702
- ISBN-13: 978-0525255703
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14.7 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#171,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Books > Teens > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From AudioFile
Elizabeth Yates deservedly won the Newbery Award for AMOS FORTUNE, FREE MAN in the pre-politically correct days of 1951. This carefully researched biography brings to life a man and era overlooked in history books. Born a prince in Africa, At-mun was captured at age 15, sold at a Boston slave auction, given the name Amos, taught to read, and trained as a tanner. Six decades later, he buys his freedom and, eventually, the freedom of others. Ray Childs's deep, melodious voice breathes life into a man who maintained his princely dignity through the indignities of slavery. Hearing the documents of manumission, the process by which a slave could be liberated, read in the formal language of the Colonial period underlines the authenticity of the story. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Ingram
Amos Fortune was born the son of an African king. In 1725, when he was 15 years old, he was captured by slave traders, brought to America and sold at auction. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and dreamed of freedom. At 60, he began to see those dreams come true. A Newbery Honor Book.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
NIGHT CAME DOWN SWIFTLY over the equatorial forest. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
NIGHT CAME DOWN SWIFTLY over the equatorial forest. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Historical Fiction at its Finest,
By Linda Mehus-Barber (Crescent Beach, B.C.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Amos Fortune Free Man (Paperback)
I loved this book! I had seen it listed many times as a "must read" book, and I finally took time this summer to curl up with it. The story is a historical biography about Amos Fortune, who was born the son of an African king, captured when he was fifteen and brought to America, and sold at an auction. It is the story of a man who held the vision of freedom in his heart during his years of slavery, but who saved his money until he was able to purchase his freedom when he was sixty years old. I appreciated seeing the author bring out the human side of slave owners... how they were not all cruel... how some educated their slaves and taught them skills to live by. I also appreciated the author's description of how the slave traders were aided by Africans themselves in the capture of humans for trade... we so often think it was only the white men who were responsible for this vile trade. To read about Amos Fortune is to get an insight into a caring, self-sacrificing, honourable pioneer in the New World. I highly recommend this well-researched and well-written book. I can see why it was a Newberry Award winner.
5.0 out of 5 stars
American Academy: Essential Reading for Youth,
By
This review is from: Amos Fortune Free Man (Paperback)
This book is required reading for American Academy Middle School students, 6th grade, but is recommended for people, ages 12 and up, trying to understand early American life and the subject of slavery, particularly in the northern states.Amos Fortune is a true story about a young African prince torn from his family, people, and homeland. He undergoes a process of dehumanization, including a horrific slave-ship sea crossing before being sold as a slave into first one and then another Massachusetts family, so we see two complete portraits of slave life. Finally, he buys his own and his wife's freedom and travels to picturesque New Hampshire where he builds a homestead and legacy for himself, and perhaps plants seeds that help bring an end to that "peculiar institution." Beautifully told by Ms. Yates, we see Amos learn to read and become a faithful Christian. His childlike dream to buy his sister's freedom grows into a mature buying of the freedom of women he loves. He masters the tanning trade, which we learn about. We experience his strong and majestic character in overlooking a benighted age's slights and building his own freehold homestead, near "his" mountain, in this free country he loves. Amos Fortune is an outstanding man worthy of imitation. His story will never die or grow old. All American young people should read this book. It, along with: April Morning, by Howard Fast; A Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter; First Lady of Faith and Courage: Abigail Adams, by Evelyn Witter; and The Autobiography, by Benjamin Franklin; paint a multifaceted view of the particular pains, prejudices and daily life in northern colonial America from the perspective of, respectively, black citizens, traditional revolutionary families, American Indians, women, and a particular famous artisan-scientist-inventor-statesman whose life spanned and intertwined itself with the century of America's birth.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Amos Fortune - A Successful Slave,
By A Customer
This review is from: Amos Fortune Free Man (Paperback)
Amos Fortune,named At-mun at first, is prince of the At-mun-shi people in Africa. Right before the time of the planting of corn, At-mun and others in his tribe are captured and taken to America as slaves. Amos, now living in Massachusetts, learns to live among white men and eventually gains his freedom. While in Massachusetts, Amos looks at the port for his little sister, Ath-mun. She was left behind in Africa when Amos was taken, but Amos searched to see if she had been brought to America since then, and maybe would come off of a ship at the port some time. Because of Amos' wanting Ath-mun to be cared for, he dedicated himself to helpless people. He helped many people in his lifetime.Amos' last name, Fortune, was given to him by other slaves who saw how fortunate he was. Both of his masters were good to him. He was taught a good trade as a tanner and became very good at it. He was able to earn freedom for himself and his family. This story is very good, but it isn't as adventurous as I like books to be. I don't think it really hooked me as much as I wish it would have. I think a lot of people will really like this book; it just isn't MY idea of a great book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
