Go South to Freedom

Go South to Freedom reads so well it is hard to put down. Frye Gaillard tells a story right out of our past. While no one in the book is ever called a griot, we understand that family members, both male and female, have served in that role and kept this story alive, with little changing from the 1830s until Gaillard hears it late in the 20th century. That is what oral historians, or griots, have done for centuries in West Africa. Go South to Freedom is an excellent introduction to a piece of powerful history.

* Lagniappe *

Go South to Freedom is a campfire story for all ages, filled with surprise and adventure, truth and sadness, and ultimately hope. Readers experience the great pull of freedom and find strength and honor in this account of the courageous efforts of The African and other enslaved people to make their lives better. Inspiring and entertaining.

* author of Leaving Gee's Bend *

Based on a real event, Frye Gaillard’s illustrated novella has it all: danger, toil, tragedy, suspense, courage, and a huge heart. The storytelling is both brisk and elegant.

* Atlanta Journal-Constitution *

With his family at his side, a Georgia slave known only as The African abandons a life of servitude and against all odds—with the assistance of other fugitive slaves, Seminole Indians, and free black people—wins his freedom by fleeing South toward freedom. Based on a true story, Go South to Freedom is a compact and elegantly written book that explores the often overlooked yet vital story of the Underground Railroad in the Deep South. I love this book!

* author of Aiming for Pensacola: Fugitive Slaves on the Atlantic and Southern Frontiers *

Go South to Freedom should be read by a campfire or under the stars. Like the great storytellers of old, Gaillard tells this heartfelt Southern epic in a way that puts you smack in the middle of a slave and his family’s escape. A must-read for schools.

* Coretta Scott Honor-winning author of Yummy and Tru & Nelle *

A beautiful story that brings to light a little known part of our American history. Under the leadership of a heroic figure called The African, a family of runaway slaves joins forces with the Seminole Indians to fight for freedom. Exciting and satisfying.

* author of Halley *

Frye Gaillard’s Go South to Freedom is a beautifully written, beautifully illustrated twice-told tale for readers of all ages who care to know about two of the lesser-known stories of slavery in America: the Black Seminoles of Florida and the free blacks of Mobile. So listen as Gaillard’s narrator tells once again the story of his ancestors who followed a man known as The African to their freedom in the most unlikely of places. Ultimately, this is a journey into the soul of a people, and Gaillard knows how to lead you there.

* author of Pasture Art *

Gaillard’s Go South to Freedom is told in the captivating voice of a storyteller. You feel as though you’re sitting at the feet of an ancient griot recounting the history of a people. So much historical background is weaved into this wonderful story of The African who gained freedom for himself and his family by running south instead of north, and finding refuge in a community of free blacks. Middle-schoolers will be fascinated by the little known history of the alliance of Seminole Indians and the former slaves who lived among them, joining forces in the fight for freedom.

* author of Freedom Roads: Searching for the Underground Railroad *

From the memory of an old man's tale, Frye Gaillard has crafted an absorbing story of determined maroons, spooky swamps, ferocious wild animals, and resourceful Seminole Indians. A wonderful adventure sure to please and excite.

* author Southern Bound and The Mobile River *

Alligator-filled swamps, a drowning, beatings, and terror ... a realistic picture of what runaway American slaves faced. In this fact-based historical novella, the narrator, the great-grandson of the woman who first shared this oral history, describes how four slaves escape from a Georgia plantation. An informative and well-told story about a little-known aspect of American slavery that needs to be remembered and retold.

* Kirkus Reviews Starred Review *

An extraordinary read. Highly recommended.

* The Midwest Book Review *

Go South to Freedom, a slim volume designed for a juvenile audience but worthy of a wider purview, documents the Gilbert Fields family's journey in search of freedom. A riveting account.

* The Florida Times-Union *

In Go South To Freedom, Frye Gaillard beautifully tells a story that young people need to read. This story reminds us just how courageously and fearlessly African Americans fought to find freedom.