Rating: 
Summary: This is a good book that tells of triumph.
Review: I did this book for a book report. It is sad but is also very good. It tells about how his life was spent. If I knew some one who had not read this book I would stongly suggest it to them. This is a magnificent book. Read It!
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Summary: This book is not a true story- Don't believe the hype
Review: I liked the book. I found myself really engrossed in the story and read it straight through without stopping. I liked the character of Amos and thought the book was teaching a good lesson. This was my initial impression of the book. My initial impression is the reason I assume the book was award winning, but upon further examination about the book I began to look more critically at some of the messages the book was sending. I found the book uplifting as it told the story of man who came from nothing and worked hard throughout his life to make something of himself. Then I began to realize that this book reinforces the belief that anyone who believes in American ideals of hard work and freedom can work their way out of poverty. First, the book seems to argue that if Blacks truly want to get ahead the way to do so is to behave and eventually white people will respect them. This is true of both of the families that Amos lives with, as well as the individuals he deals with in business such as the man at the tavern who pays Amos less for his work than what was currently agreed upon. The times that Amos chooses to stand up for himself he is met with more harsh treatment and not the acceptance he is met with in other situations. The one that stands out to me in the book is when he rose up immediately after his capture and was lashed because of it. His continual reference back to his scar from that episode seems to serve as a reminder of what happens when one fights against the systems already in place. Second, although Amos tries to remember his African heritage, he seems fully assimilated in his new society, both in stature and in belief system. Each community that Amos move to, whether it be a white family or a community in which he works, accepts Amos (even if it takes a while some places) and they do so in a manner that ignores race for the most part. This seems to say that blacks who work hard are readily accepted by society. In addition to his position in society Amos also seems to be fully intergrated into the belief system of his new country. He reinforces ideas of hard work and freedom even though so many whites around him have never had to overcome the same obstacles that he did to gain his freedom. The book also seems to reinforce three stereotypes that jump out to me. First, is the argument that many conservative race commentators (such as Dinesh D'Souza in The End of Racism) that blacks are better off here than they would have been in Africa. Amos comes over and make a name for himself and build a home. He seems happy and the communities he enters seem better for him being there, but there is very little examination of the life he left behind. Occassionally, it is mentioned that he had been king, but there is next to no mention of what that means in the broader picture.
Second, the book's treatment of the American Revolution seems to mirror the treatment of race in World War II and Vietnam. The American army would allow blacks to fight, but at the same time refused to extend full citizenship status to them. While this is possibly an accurate historical description the part that made me upset was Amos reaction to that. He was not upset that black men were going off and dying for a country in which they were not treated as equals, but instead he was angry that he could not go and fight.
Finally, the images of hard work versus the laziness of Polly's family seem to draw out natural comparisons to the welfare mother. Here is a woman who has lots of children that she cannot care for and no husband to help her and the more the community helps her the more she wastes those chances. This, especially when compared to Amos' success sends the message that anyone can succeed if they are willing to work hard.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I believe that is only because it reinforced all of the ideas of hard work and personal responsibility I was taught when I was younger.
Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: I loved this book it had education in it and it had adventure. It showed how slaves lived and how Amos Fortune grew up. I would remend this book to any reader.
Rating:
Summary: Turned me on to reading
Review: I remember reading this book when I was in the 4th grade. My teacher gave it to me to read. I never stopped reading after that. It turned me on to literature.
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Summary: Research Project on Slavery
Review: If you did a research project on slavery, I think you found the right book. You will learn about how slaves were treated and what they became.
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Summary: This one of my favorite books now that I read it last week!!
Review: Last week I read this book. It was really good about a guy who was auctioned to be a slave, although the family who bought was nice to him. He learned to do alot of things at the house (ex. read speak english, tan leather). When he was around 60 years old, he was able to buy his freedom and a couple of other people's also. Finally he settled in at Jaffrey, NH and made a living as a tanner. Theis book is a great book for anyone. It took me only two days to read and that's saying something!
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Summary: A Man With Courage
Review: The thing I like best about this book is Amos goes through life without losing hope, never complaining. A very uplifting book and a good lesson for those who find themselves blaming society instead of making their own path.
Rating:
Summary: A Man With Courage
Review: The thing I like best about this book is Amos goes through life without losing hope, never complaining. A very uplifting book and a good lesson for those who find themselves blaming society instead of making their own path.
Rating: 
Summary: TO LIVE FREE--AND TO DIE FREE
Review: This 1951 Newbery winner is a biography, so there is no need to critique the plot or character development. The book reads easily, being the reconstructed life of a proud African youth who was captured at the age of 15 in 1725--reminding us of Haley's Kunta Kinte. Amos never forgot that he was the first son of chief, nor that he must protect and inspire his crippled younger sister (who would assume the role of leader of her village). Indeed, for years he haunted the New England docks seeking her; all his life he exhibited a tenderness and compassion for crippled women and children. Despite the horrors of captivity, the cramped voyage in chains, and being considered the legal property of different masters, Amos never lost his dream of directing his own destiny or his sense of personal dignity. The ten chapters are chronological, thus of varying length, depending on the amount of material during a specific period of his life. The author skillfully recreates Colonial and then American cultures, drawing the reader into the heart and mind of thiis noble African, who lived to be 80. He truly was Fortunate not to have been unloaded and auctioned off in the South, where he would have suffered excruciatingly in the plantation fields. His goal was to live as a free man; then to help other blacks enjoy the same privilege, even if only to die in freedom. He accomplished his private purposes several times, but at great personal cost. Amos set an example of honesty and Christian responsibility, leaving a legacy of peace and a foundation of interracial cooperation. He did what he could to improve the life for all people in his New Hampshire community. Recommended for elementary and middle school students of Black and Colonial history.
Rating:
Summary: Free at Last
Review: This a classic, about a slave who earns his freedom. I read it years ago when I was a child and I still remember it.This should be read by every child in school-it should be on the shelf of every library! This is a moving and true story of a man who lived over 200 years ago.
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