Taking Liberty

This is another of Ann Rinaldi's really good historical novels. This one is based on the life of Oney Judge, a half-white slave girl living on the Mount Vernon estate of George Washington. The book starts with her at the age of three and goes on to tell how she ended up working in the house, learning how to sew and do other things, and how she eventually become Martha Washington's personal slave.

Oney had a much better life working in the house than did the slaves who had to work on the outside. The story covers the ending of the Revolutionary War and both of George Washington's term as President of the new country.

Oney is content with her life, but gradually talks to other slaves and learns of slaves running off and groups that help slaves escape from their masters. Although her life at Mount Vernon is relatively comfortable, she is still a slave and will always remain one, so she has to decide if she will prefer that life, or try to run away and live what with little doubt will be a harsher type of life.

The characters are well done, although Oney's mother comes across as little short of extremely nasty and quite unsympathetic.

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