Emancipated: My Family's Fight for Freedom

Gr 8 Up—Wills's passionate memoir of her family's multigenerational struggle for freedom illuminates U.S. history. The author grew up in New York City and was shaped by the tragic loss of her father, a veteran and a firefighter. As a journalist, she reported on a DNA service that traces ancestry. Inspired and determined to preserve the legacy of her father, Wills researched her family roots. Her exploration revealed that her great-great-great-grandfather Sandy escaped from slavery to fight in the Civil War. Vivid descriptions of the treatment of those enslaved provide a realistic view of the brutality Sandy and his family survived. Life after the war was also difficult. Emma, Sandy's wife, fought to receive the benefits she deserved as a widow and was resolved that her children would be educated. The author's voice blends gratitude, pride, and triumph, drawing readers in with a conversational tone. The chronological organization of accounts evokes the feeling of a friend passing along family tales. A family tree, a time line, photographs, primary sources, and an extensive bibliography supplement Wills's narrative and invite readers to immerse themselves in her family. Wills encourages others to join her in immortalizing their own ancestors through researching their histories and sharing their stories.