Forge

Anderson's award-winning earlier work, CHAINS, introduced Isabel and Curzon, slaves who crave independence as the Colonies struggle to break from England. FORGE, the second in her Seeds of America trilogy, focuses on Curzon as he joins the Patriots to fight for independence. Narrator Tim Cain brings history alive with his performance. Through Curzon's diary entries, he tells of the bloody battle at Saratoga and the desperate conditions at Valley Forge during the bitter winter of 1777-1778. Historical context is established with chapter heads that quote historical documents. Thoughtful listeners will see how our nation still struggles to expand the narrow definition of freedom the Patriots used. The audiobook lacks one feature of the print version: the extensive appendix, which clarifies details and separates historical fact from fiction. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Starred review from September 13, 2010
Second in the Seeds of America trilogy, this sequel to the National Book Award finalist Chains is narrated by Curzon, the slave Isabel freed from prison while escaping her own enslavement in 1777 New York City. Curzon immediately explains how he and Isabel lived in New Jersey for a few months, before she ran away with their meager funds in hopes of finding her sister, a quest Curzon refused to support. Months later, Curzon is doing his best to forget Isabel, though the depth of his feelings is made evident in flashbacks of their time together. After Curzon saves the life of Eben, a young rebel soldier, he joins the army and suffers through the winter at Valley Forge; tension mounts when Curzon's former owner arrives. Anderson includes meticulous details about the lives of soldiers and, with just a few words, brings readers deep inside Curzon's experience ("My belly voted louder than my wits"). Her masterful storytelling weaves themes of friendship, politics, love, and liberty into a deeply satisfying tale that will leave readers hungry for the final volume. Ages 10–up.