Steal Away

Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment.
Review: "Steal Away" was not what I expected. I expected more adventure and bonding between Beth and Susannah - I couldn't quite understand if they were true friends or mere acquaintances who went through a trying experience. The concept of going back and forth from the "past" to the "present" was interesting and different, but couldn't save this book. The relationship between Mary and Free was also confusing. I came to the conclusion that they were not fond of each other, because of Free's bitterness. The beginning and ending letter added to the confusion and the "unspoken" words and emotions made me reread paragraphs to fully understand what happened. The plot and the way the story was constructed was enjoyable, but the writing style used by Armstrong was annoying. I do not recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Steal Away
Review: Book Report By: Tevin Reeves
Steal Away
By: Jennifer Armstrong

This book is about two girls named Susannah and Bethlehem. They are running away
from a southern plantation. Susannah is an orphan who is trying to run back to Vermont where
she used to live. Bethlehem is a slave who is trying to run to Canada to be free.
They both made it to their destinations, and both are talking to Mary about their run away.

The main character in this book is Susannah. Susannah is the main character because
in the story she was being strong and powerful. To me, I really think she was a good run away
the way she was acting like a boy. When she got that big cut on her hand, she did not
really act like a girl. She was also a nice girl because she taught Bethlehem how to read.

The main character, Susannah has a problem. The problem is Bethlehem and Susannah trying to
not get caught while they are running away. They are also trying to stay together and not get mad
at each other and break apart. This was the kind of problem that if you didn't have good friendship,
you would probably would get in trouble by the people who they ran away from .

To the problems, Susannah had a good friendship with Bethlehem. They had a couple of arguements, but
did not split up. They did not get caught, although they did see people who helped them out. Also, in their
arguements, they really didn't get mad, they settled it and then went on
with their runaway. So that means they didn't break up.

My opinion on this book is that I think this book is a good book. I would also recommend this book to
others because I like the book. I like this book because I think it's a kind of book that shows how to
have good friendship. That is the reason I would recommend this book. I also think it is an interesting book.

Rating:
Summary: Steal Away
Review: I did not like the book because it was confusing to read, they went back and forth from when Susannah was a little girl, then a grandmother. I would recommend this to an older boy or girl. But I was happy they both made it to where the wanted to go, and wasn't killed or taken back to Virginia.

Rating:
Summary: Steal Away
Review: One day Gran & Mary go to Toronto to visit and old friend named Beth, a free slave. They plan to write the story of how they got to freedom in Vermont. Free, a young person living with Beth, & Mary, that came Gran are writing down the story as they speak it. It gets to late to write, so Gran & Mary go back to the hotel. They finish thier story later & tragically find out that Beth is very ill & may die. They sum up the story and get ready to leave, since both Gran and Beth think it's best, but Mary wants to bring Free with them, but fails to persuade anyone. They go home, and that is where the story ends. I think the theme of this story is finishing the story. I rate the story five stars because it's captivating, it really pulls you into it and makes you feel like part of the story.

Rating:
Summary: Really?
Review: Steal Away by Kacie Mazur Hour 7

I would rate the book Steal Away by Jennifer Armstrong with a fie star rating. I would rate it with this rating because of the time frame and how well it fit in with the characters. The whole book was just astonishing. The sense were just so really you would never want to put the book down. The book just went together so well. I loved this book, and all the details that it contents. The author really made all the events that dealt with discrimination. Also the belief that Susannah had for the black slave was so beautiful and that shows that some people really do care. I have not really read any books that really went along with this story but in the future will be filled with more of these types of books. The way that people were treated in the past and still today just makes the biggest different in the people that are here today. People to this day don't realize that all people have feelings and do care. The way blacks and slaves were treated in the past is just the biggest mess. "How can the slaves make a living if the whites just give then the bare minute?" asked Susannah. Well the answers to that one little question was answered but the people that didn't care. In ways the people cared it was just against the peoples beliefs to speak of.

Rating:
Summary: steal away to freedom
Review: The book was written well, but in a confusing format. Mary is writing down a story from her grandmother's childhood, with help from a girl named Free. The book however starts with a message from Mary to Free written later when they had grown up. This letter, and the one at the end as well, confused me and threw me off.
The story being told is, as I said, about Mary's Grandmother. She was born in Vermont in a time before slavery was abolished. This is the story of how when her parents died she was sent to live in Virginia with her slave owning, preacher uncle. The fact that a preacher owns slaves confuses her because she has grown up in Vermont, and she is further set off balance by being given a slave named Bethlehem. They decide to run away, and throughout their travels you can't tell if they are friends or people who are determined that the other is a burden on them.

For better historical fiction I suggest Ann Rinaldi

Rating:
Summary: IS HOME MORE THAN JUST A PLACE?
Review: This book is hard to put down, for Jennifer Armstrong weaves a compelling story of interracial friendships--a tale within a tale which spans 3 generations. Alternating between 1855 (when Slavery was grimly legal) and the "present" of 1896, STEAL AWAY presents readers with a literary device known shared narratives, so that each girl very has the opportunity to give a first-person account of their flight from Virginia to the their new life up North. Both their modern counterparts, Mary and Free, are captivated, as elderly women whom they love and respect recount the details of this 40-year-old odyssey; the girls share their writing-down task, as they marvel at the pages--the seal of their lifelong devotion. Will two strange girls be able to bond, by the mere act of the retelling, for it was both a physical and an emotional journey to find freedom and Home?

Thirteen-year-old Susannah is suddenly orphaned and forced to leave the family farm in Vermont, with all its precious memories of her parents, the boy next door, and her carefree existence. She must travel by train (an ordeal in itself) down to a new world, in Virginia, to the farm of her Reverend uncle, who firmly believes in the insitution of slavery. But Susannah will never fit into this genteel Southern society; she does not even know how to treat or address her own personal slave!

Longing to put plantation life and its immoral abuse of dark-skinned human beings behind her forever, spunky Susannah resolves to run away and sneak back to the only home she has ever known. But she needs the help of more worldy-wise Bethlehem, to prepare for this dangerous enterprise. Suddenly circumstances force both girls to depart together, with a minimum of preparation. Beth longs for Canada--a place on a map where there is no slavery. Would she truly be safe in free Vermont? Susannah has also broken the law, for she taught Beth to read, and now is helping a slave escape from its rightful owner.

Can two young teenage girls disappear without a trace, even disguised as boys? Will there be anyone to trust on this perilous undertaking? What do they know of the Undeground Railroad? Their relationship undergoes many transformations, as Susannah becomes increasingly dependent on her pessimistic companion for survival. Yet Bethlehem dreads the unspoken but inevitable fork in the road--where each one must choose which path leads to her true Home in a hostile world. A gripping tale which will captivate readers of all ages with its raw emotions and mutual coming of age; it offers implications for today's racial relations and should have won some Newbery award!