Saturday, June 13, 2009

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson


Isabel and Ruth Finch are promised their freedom when Miss Mary Finch dies, but instead they are sold to a wealthy English couple, Anne and Elihu Lockton. They are taken to New York where conflict is high between the Loyalists and the Patriots. Isabel finds herself spying for the patriots. Her sister Ruth has epilepsy and when she has a seizure, Anne sells her. Isabel runs away but is captured and branded I for Insolance. Lady Seymour, the master's aunt, befriends Isabel and nurses her back to health, but then returns her to Madam Lockton. Curzon, a young slave boy about Isabel's age, befriends her and helps her when he can. There is a terrible fire and Lady Seymour's house burns. Isabel rescues her and takes her to the Locktons. Curzon is captured along with other rebel soldiers and put into jail. Isabel brings him scraps of food from the Lockton house. Isabel continues passing messages for the rebels, but is caught and put into the potato bin. She decides to run. She manages to get Curzon out of jail by offering to clean the cells and carrying him out in a wheelbarrow as a dead body. They find a boat and escape to Jersey. Sequel will be Forge.

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