Chains is a historical
fiction novel. It is about a slave girl
named Isabel and her journey to freedom.
In the beginning she lives in Rhode Island and her owner dies and she
gets sold to a couple in New York.
Isabel and Her sister Ruth are the only thing that each other has,
Isabel is very protective over Ruth. The Mistress is very cruel to her and ends up
moving her sister Ruth away. The Revolutionary
War is occurring in New York during this time, it is the Loyalists vs. the
Rebels. It is a dangerous time in the
city especially for slaves. By the end
of the book she discovers who she really is and crosses the river to freedom
with her companion Cruzon.
This is a really good book but I think you have to
be careful with what grade you let read it because it is difficult and very
graphic. At the beginning of each
chapter there are dates of when these events take place and then there is a
historical quote. As an activity for my
students I would assign a chapter to each student or pair of students and have
them read the chapter and then do research and find an appropriate historical quote
that goes with the chapter. This would
give students a way to connect with the text and history. I could also teach about calendar with the
book. It talks about Isabel and Ruth
being on a boat to New York so I would have students write about a time they
have been on a boat and compare it with Isabel and Ruth’s experience. If they have not been on a boat I would have
students imagine that they were on the boat with Isabel and Ruth and write
about the experience. This would also
help students connect to the text. If
students connect to the text they are going to be able to understand the
historical importance more.
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