From the author of The Hanging Tree comes Runaway, an intimate tale of innocence, acceptance and freedom.The year is 1863 and Joshua is a runaway slave who finds refuge on a farmstead in Missouri. Six year old Clara was born on the farm and is naive to the ways of the world. She abides there with her mother, Lizbet, and discovers Joshua hiding in the barn. Her father is absent, fighting for the Confederacy with Missouri guerrillas, and she soon forms an attachment with the unusual man whose presence she agrees to keep secret. However, not all secrets can be kept, despite best intentions.
This is an evocative tale and the interplay of the characters will keep you enthralled. The descriptive qualities match those of The Hanging Tree, as does the emotional content. Engaging in its simplicity, Runaway is sure to touch its readers and is another tale by Edwin Page that will not soon be forgotten. A story that shows sometimes you don't have to leave home to make a journey of discovery.
20% of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the charity Anti-Slavery International. The U.K. abolished slavery in 1833 and the U.S. in 1865, but its blight is still present in the world today with an estimated 21 million people living under its yoke, visit www.antislavery.org to find out more.Available in both paperback and Kindle formats.
Look out for the sequel to Runaway. Entitled Homestead, it will be released in paperback and Kindle formats on 17th November 2017. The Kindle edition will be available for pre-order from the 3rd of that month.
'This moving book about slavery is set in 1863 on a farmstead in Missouri. It focuses on six-year-old Clara and her mother, Lizbet, who, through the last days of slavery, hide Joshua, a runaway slave, in their barn.
The child's presence brings an innocent perspective on the matter that highlights the cruelty of slavery yet also allows for some of the more refreshing elements in this novel.
While the plot and outline are not overly original, the book shines with its likeable and endearing characters, and its ultimately upbeat tone.
I was gripped by the suspense and deeply touched, and would recommend this book to others' - Historical Novel Society
