Amos Fortune, Free Man

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Summary: Slavery exposed and triumphantly overcome
Review: Amos Fortune, Free Man" succeeds on many levels. It is an accurate piece of historical fiction, dramatizing the events and people that filled the early days of colonial America. It is compassionate in its approach to the irony and hypocrisy of the times. It is a fitting tribute to all slaves who endured unspeakable hardships from slave to free man.

The author begins the story with Amos's life, as Prince At-mun, in the wilds of Africa. The subjugation into slavery and the trip along the Middle Passage is told with accuracy and strength.

As an African-American, I was moved by the enduring qualities exhibited by this man, his unwavering desire to be free, his longing to help others, and his pride in himself.

All the characters in the book are representative of the citizens of the day. The book is noticeably free of the vilest of the slave owners, but the thought of forced servitude by one man on the other is horrible enough.

Descriptive writing of the setting makes the reader feel that he or she is in the hold of the great slave ship, is walking along the busy port cities of New England, and is enjoying the majestic beauty of New Hampshire's mountains.

Amos Fortune never really resigns himself to the fact that he is a slave. This constant vigilance for self-rule is the abiding theme throughout. A strong sense of independence is presented in the man's words and deeds.

The novel provides the reader with a realistic view of how things really were. By also including the language used in documents of the period, the author contrasts the brevity of modern tongue with the wordiness of colonial times. This enhances the authenticity of the text.

The book is a triumph of man over adversity. It is a worthwhile addition to any child's literary background.

Rating:
Summary: an Inspiring Story of a determined New England slave
Review: Amos Fortune-Free Man is an inspiring semi-true story of a young african prince named At-mun, who at age 15 is captured from his african village, and crosses through the brutal middle passage. In Boston he is sold to a quaker man named Caleb Copeland, who names him Amos. He learns to read, write, and learns to weave and tan. His freinds nickname him Amos Fortune. Indeed he is more fortunate than many slaves of the day. Instead of doing the backbreaking field labor, he would have done had he been sold to a southern plantation, he finds himself doing more managable work, in the New England states.
In addition his masters are more kind than most. At around the age of sixty he bought his own freedom, and eventually the freedom of 3 others. In 1779 he moved to the New Hampshire town of Jaffrey, where he established himself as a sucsessful tanner, and died peacefully at the age of 91. I first read this book 3 years ago, and it is among my favorites. I think it should be required reading for every school (and thats saying alot coming from me). Amos Fortune/At-Mun was a truely amazing man, who tried to sucseed and adapt in american/american colonial society, while never forgetting his african heritage. Some of the words and events may be diffucult for unskilled readers,but in all I think it is one of the best books of all time.

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Summary: An All-Time Favorite
Review: For a good portion of 2002 I have been reading through the Newbery Medal and Honor books. Almost all of those that I have read have been very good, excellent, even outstanding. But Amos Fortune is the cream of the crop! And it's a true story. Elizabeth Yates does a marvelous job of telling the story of Amos, a slave who eventually buys his freedom, as well as freedom for several other slaves. Amos was an amazing man. His courage, determination, and integrity inspired me. I have read hundreds if not thousands of biographies and autobiographies in my life, and Amos Fortune is at the top of my list. Find this book. Read it. Share it with a friend. It may not be for everyone, but it was for me!

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Summary: A fantastic book for kids 10 and up, and for adults!!
Review: I brought this book for my 9 year old who is quite good at reading. I wanted her to learn some history of the slaving times from a different perspective. Amos Fortune is a true story and shows the indominable Christian spirit of this man, and the people who assist him in his life. I read it before I gave it to my daughter and couldn't put it down. It's a fairly short chapter oriented book, a two hour read for most adults. Contains some hard words and some historical events that may need to be explained (but are not overwhelming or offensive) to younger kids.

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Summary: American Academy: Essential Reading for Youth
Review: This book is required reading for American Academy Middle School students, 6th grade, but is recommended for people, ages 12 and up, trying to understand early American life and the subject of slavery, particularly in the northern states.
Amos Fortune is a true story about a young African prince torn from his family, people, and homeland. He undergoes a process of dehumanization, including a horrific slave-ship sea crossing before being sold as a slave into first one and then another Massachusetts family, so we see two complete portraits of slave life. Finally, he buys his own and his wife's freedom and travels to picturesque New Hampshire where he builds a homestead and legacy for himself, and perhaps plants seeds that help bring an end to that "peculiar institution."
Beautifully told by Ms. Yates, we see Amos learn to read and become a faithful Christian. His childlike dream to buy his sister's freedom grows into a mature buying of the freedom of women he loves. He masters the tanning trade, which we learn about. We experience his strong and majestic character in overlooking a benighted age's slights and building his own freehold homestead, near "his" mountain, in this free country he loves. Amos Fortune is an outstanding man worthy of imitation. His story will never die or grow old.
All American young people should read this book. It, along with: April Morning, by Howard Fast; A Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter; First Lady of Faith and Courage: Abigail Adams, by Evelyn Witter; and The Autobiography, by Benjamin Franklin; paint a multifaceted view of the particular pains, prejudices and daily life in northern colonial America from the perspective of, respectively, black citizens, traditional revolutionary families, American Indians, women, and a particular famous artisan-scientist-inventor-statesman whose life spanned and intertwined itself with the century of America's birth.