51 pages • 1 hour read
Margaret Goff ClarkFreedom Crossing
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1980A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In pre–Civil War New York, 15-year-old Laura Eastman returns home from Virginia to discover her family is involved in the Underground Railroad. While grappling with her Southern sympathies, Laura is drawn into helping a runaway enslaved boy, Martin. Through interactions with her brother Bert and childhood friend Joel, Laura confronts her beliefs about slavery and slowly begins to embrace the abolitionist cause. The book uses outdated terms for enslaved people and contains racially offensive terms used to describe Black people.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark is praised for its engaging storytelling and historical accuracy, offering young readers profound insights into the Underground Railroad. Critics commend its well-developed characters and suspenseful narrative. Some, however, find the pacing uneven and the dialogue occasionally stilted. Overall, it’s recommended for its educational value.
Who Should Read Freedom Crossing?
Readers who would enjoy Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark are typically young adults fascinated by historical fiction, particularly the Underground Railroad. They are likely fans of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, which explore themes of bravery and social justice.
RecommendedReading Age
9-12yearsLexile Level
720L