Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2008). Chains. New York: Scholastic Inc. 9780545208116.
A strong female protagonist, an admirable male rebel, and a country at war with both its enemy and itself prove a fascinating combination in this young adult historical novel. Set during the American Revolutionary War, Chains provides a unique perspective of a war for freedom as seen through the eyes of a young, Black slave girl.
The setting plays a remarkable role in this historical novel, as Isabel fights for the freedom she was promised amid the backdrop of America’s fighting for its own freedom. Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Fever 1793, writes with impeccable attention to detail to bring the reader back in time as we join Isabel on her coming of age journey. The irony of a country wanting its freedom while holding onto its slave tradition is certainly not lost in this book; rather, Isabel echoes this complexity as she weighs the never-ending offers to spy. She chooses sides not by what will be best for slavery or for the country, but instead by what will advance her toward her personal goal of freedom. In this way, readers get a taste of how self-centered survival can be and how it influences such monstrous events like conflict and war.
Additionally, Anderson masterfully handles an engaging and suspenseful plot, daring the reader to put the book down for even a minute. While reading, it feels as if the story will certainly continue without you, and you won’t want to miss a minute. There are many times when you will feel the plot has reached its climax—that things could not possibly get worse—but you will be mistaken. The novel’s twists and turns mirror both the confusion inherent in the multiple perspectives regarding the war as well as the tumult Isabel finds herself immersed in over and over again.
A fascinating book for both young readers and adult readers, Chains balances the setting and plot with a strong and admirable main character. Given her circumstances, Isabel must continually gauge what is best for her personally versus what is best for those around her, while never losing sight of what’s important: her family and her freedom. Isabel’s determination and strength create a young adult character worth any reader’s discovery and understanding.
1 comment:
It's hard to write a book about something as awful as slavery and not pass judgment on it, but from what you wrote, Anderson seems to take a different approach: centering on the life of one single slave girl and her quest for freedom. I think it's to the author's advantage to write nonfiction this way, because oftentimes one person's story can serve as a microcosm of a larger event, or, alternatively, to tell a story that would have been otherwise lost to history.
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