The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier (author of Girl With a Pearl Earring) is a novel set in Ohio in the 1850's. It tells of a Quaker woman, Honor Bright, who has travelled with her sister from England to start a new life in a new world. Her sister dies during the journey, and she finds herself alone in a strange new land.
The women who befriend her have a secret to keep, and Honor needs to decide if she will help them or not. The novel is set during the time of the Underground Railroad, a network set up to help runaway slaves reach freedom.
It is a powerful tale, and Chevalier skillfully brings frontier America to life at a time when many were still struggling with the moral implications of slavery. Recommended read.
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