Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself

by Monica Edinger, Lesley Younge

Overview

“Permit me to lay at your feet

the following genuine

Narrative . . .”

Olaudah Equiano was a writer and abolitionist whose autobiography, The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano, captured the attention of British readers at the height of the transatlantic slave trade. The account of his childhood in the African kingdom of Benin, the details of his kidnapping and enslavement as a young boy, and the chronicles of his life as a sailor were influential in ending the British slave trade and continue to inspire the work of academics, activists, and artists over two hundred years later.

Nearer My Freedom retells Equiano’s remarkable life story in found verse, shaping his own words into impassioned, striking poetry, allowing readers to discover it anew. Supplemented with detailed and illuminating annotations, authors Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge offer a new means to engage with one of the most famous texts of the abolition movement.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728450988
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/07/2023
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	11 - 12 Years

About the Author

Monica Edinger is a retired classroom teacher and the author of the children's book Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad (Candlewick 2013), which won the 2014 Children's Africana Book Award and Nearer My Freedom (co-written with Lesley Younge) which was a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist. Monica is a children's book world influencer with a large following on her blog, educating alice. She has contributed reviews and articles for the Horn Magazine and The New York Times, served on several award committees, and published numerous books and articles for educators. She is based in New York.

Lesley Younge is a writer, mother, and educator currently teaching middle school English and math in Washington D.C. Originally from Southern California, she graduated from New York University and Bank Street College of Education. Lesley has developed curriculum with a wide range of organizations such as the Central Park Conservancy, the Museum of Art and Design, the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project, the Zinn Education Project, and the National Museum of Asian Art. Now she is the author of two books for young people, Nearer My Freedom and A-Train Allen. A fellow of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and Anaphora Literary Arts, Lesley blogs regularly at teacherlesley.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 2022-11-29
An important narrative presented with clarity.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789) remains one of the best-known stories about the life of an enslaved African man in the 18th century. Equiano was born in the kingdom of Benin and kidnapped and sold into slavery as a young person. His experiences of the Middle Passage, described in detail, were brutal. After working in the Caribbean, he was shipped to a plantation in Virginia and a life of bondage. When he was sold to a British naval officer, Equiano was given a new name against his will, but he formed relationships that allowed him to learn to read and write. Through it all, he never lost his dream of liberty and the resolve to purchase his freedom. Once he was successful, he took on an apprenticeship as a hairdresser and eventually had more adventures, traveling to Turkey, among other places. His autobiography formed part of his abolitionist efforts and was important to the movement that eventually ended the institution of slavery in Britain. This highly successful adaptation of his original work uses Equiano’s own words, turned into found verse and supplemented with important historical context that makes this primary source accessible. The overall result is exceptionally readable as well as informative.

An excellent way to understand a remarkable individual and his times. (creating a verse version, timeline, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index, photo acknowledgements) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"This flawless and well-composed performance is an invaluable addition to youth collections, giving listeners the important story of a truly remarkable man."—starred, Booklist, audio book published by Listening Library

From the Publisher