Freeman

By: Leonard Pitts

Narrated by: Sean Crisden

Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lee's surrender, Sam - a runaway slave who once worked for the Union Army - decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to the war-torn South. What compels him on this almost-suicidal course is the desire to find his wife, the mother of his only child, whom he and their son left behind 15 years earlier on the Mississippi farm to which they all "belonged".

At the same time, Sam's wife, Tilda, is being forced to walk at gunpoint with her owner and two of his other slaves from the charred remains of his Mississippi farm into Arkansas, in search of an undefined place that would still respect his entitlements as slave owner and Confederate officer.

The book's third main character, Prudence, is a fearless, headstrong white woman of means who leaves her Boston home for Buford, Mississippi, to start a school for the former bondsmen, and thus honor her father's dying wish.

At its core, Freeman is a love story - sweeping, generous, brutal, compassionate, patient - about the feelings people were determined to honor, despite the enormous constraints of the times. It is this aspect of the novel that should ensure it a strong, vocal, core audience of African-American women, who will help propel its likely critical acclaim to a wider audience. At the same time, this book addresses several themes that are still hotly debated today, some 145 years after the official end of the Civil War.

Like Cold Mountain, Freeman illuminates the times and places it describes from a fresh perspective, with stunning results. It has the potential to become a classic addition to the literature dealing with this period. Few other novels so powerfully capture the pathos and possibility of the era, particularly as it reflects the ordeal of the black slaves grappling with the promise - and the terror - of their new status as free men and women.

©2012 Leonard Pitts, Jr. (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"In lyrical prose, Pitts unflinchingly and movingly portrays the period's cruelties, and triumphs in capturing the spirit of the times through eminently-identifiable lead characters." ( Publishers Weekly)

A wonderful story! A stellar performance!!!!

Such a well written, beautiful story of hope, perseverance and love. It really touched me. I highly recommend it!!!

A masterpiece

This is a great story of love, hardship, and loss, set in the South just after the Civil War. It combines powerful themes, rich characters, and a well-crafted plot. The reader provides every character with a unique voice. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the worst chapter of American history.

Narrator Ruined it for me...:(

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Good story, would have probably been excellent but the narrator's delivery was terrible. No change in voice inflectons, bland and almost to the point of annoying.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

ugh...i'm going to BUY the book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

yes!

Any additional comments?

Sorry, Mr. Pitts, i'm sure your book is AMAZING as i can clearly see from all the excellent reviews. I'm going to give it another chance, because i couldn't even make it 5 hours into it! Thank you for this remarkable book. :)

Very good

I enjoyed this book. Story was good, narrated well, history good I was glad to choose this one.

Worth every moment, could not turn in off

What did you love best about Freeman?

It was suspenseful, thought provoking, and emotionally challenging but I came away filled with the will to fight for what is right and the audacity to finish no matter what the odds.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Sam because he was smart, determined to reconcile and seek redemption as a man. I loved his conviction and his humility with all whom he came into contact with.

Have you listened to any of Sean Crisden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first and I am in love. Well Done!

Who was the most memorable character of Freeman and why?

Prudence of course, she had insight that many could not fathom, but brought it to light and put it up on a big screen for all to see and hear.

Any additional comments?

I would love to see this written as a movie, only because it was so vivid and a story so well told. All should experience this era and this agenda in such a positive and real light.

A different view

Freeman was an unexpectedly good book, with quality writing and a solid plot. The first years after the Civil War are rarely dealt with in fiction and the braided story of Sam, Tilda, and Prudence did so beautifully. Pitts doesn't turn away from the trials and horrors of the post-Civil War Era, nor does he glorify the North in his treatment of his characters. All are flawed and all are beautiful. In addition, the story was well narrated.

Excellent

Well written, complex characters. Heart wrenching and joyous. A phenomenal read! I highly recommend it.

I was thinking about this book after I finished it

Some books leave a lasting memory, and some books flit through my mind and are gone when the book ends. This one had me thinking about it long after I finished it. The narration was superb, the story so realistic that it immersed me in the old South and the prevailing attitude then about slavery. The characters were very human, and the story very believable. I may even read this one again, and I never do that!

The cold hard truth of Reconstruction

This is an excellent book . I thought the author did an excellent job of portraying post civil war in the South .
Laws ? What laws ?
Characters were interesting, story very realistic.

Makes You Care

This is a book I won't soon forget. I loved the characters--Prudence, Bonnie, Sam, Miss Jenny, Tilda. The author makes you care about these people and want them to succeed. They were all so real, and the author's portrayals were enhanced by the narrator. We even gain insight into the despicable people and their actions. That doesn't make their actions any less atrocious, but it does make them perhaps a little more understandable.

This definitely makes my Top 10, probably Top 5!