Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave

Listened to the NLS Talking Book version. The book is not quite what I thought the book would be. I expected more of the escape, etc, rather than a courtroom drama. I love how the book is based in fact. Very interesting story of a very interesting time period. A good intro to slavery and how it can destroy the human soul.

Anthony Burns was a Southern slave who was favorited by his master. When his old master died, the new master still liked him but not as much as his father did. Anthony was loaned out to people all across the South to different people. One of people he was loaned out to was a man who ran a saw mill. One day, Anthony was working in the mill and the man turned on the machine and crushed his right hand. Anthony’s master was not to mad at the man for crushing Anthony’s hand. The next person he was loaned to, was a man how ran a tavern and Anthony work twice as hard as a man with two working hands. There, Anthony was told by a seer who told him to run away. In his plan to run away from the South, Anthony would stow away on a ship bound show more for Boston. Once Anthony got to Boston, he found work washing windows. A few moths later some slave catchers caught him and put him on a mock trial. Luckily some anti-slavery people helped Anthony in his trial. The question remains, will Anthony be sent back to the South or will he find freedom in Boston?

This was not my favorite book I have read. In this book I thought it would have a little more action and less drama in the court. The only real action in the book was when a mob was attacking the prison to free Anthony. It surprised me at the end when the Marshal and the deputy bought Anthony a new suit before they sent him off. Also the anti-slavery people tried to buy Anthony but it was Sunday so they couldn’t buy him. In the end, the show less