Swing Low, Sweet Harriet
Benjamin Pendragon (Cover Photo Composite) Louisville, Kentucky: Motes Books, 2013. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Trade paperback. Format is approximately 5 inches by 8 inches. 127, [5] pages. Signed and dated by the author on the title page. Swing Low, Sweet Harriet by Rhonda Rucker is fiction based on historical fact. This Civil War-era novel was a Crystal Kite Award finalist. Ben, a 13-year-old slave, figures he’s too young to be a spy for the Union Army. That’s before he overhears Rebel soldiers talk about planting something in the Combahee River. Later, he finds a strange, dark object floating near the riverbank. During the next few weeks, he finds more. Then Moses, a mysterious runaway slave woman, sneaks on the plantation and shows up at Sunday night meeting. She claims to work for the Union and says the Yankee soldiers will be bringing their gunboats to rescue slaves. But there’s one problem: the Rebels are planting torpedoes in the river – mines that could blow up the boats. She’s trying to find the location of the torpedoes. During one visit, Moses has a seizure. The preacher promptly declares her a conjure woman and not to be trusted. Ben’s not sure if he should tell Moses about the objects in the river. If he’s discovered passing information to the enemy, he could be whipped – or even sold. But if he doesn’t tell, he could be throwing away an opportunity for freedom – not only for himself, but also his family and friends. Swing Low, Sweet Harriet is a historical novel based on Harriet Tubman’s work as a spy and scout during the Civil War when she helped lead African American soldiers on the Combahee River raid in South Carolina. Over fifty years of performing, Sparky and Rhonda have performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as well as NPR's On Point, Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, and Morning Edition. Their recording, Treasures & Tears, was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award, and their music is also included on the Grammy-nominated anthology, Singing Through the Hard Times. Rhonda Rucker is a musician, children's author, storyteller, and songwriter. Her blues-style harmonica, piano, old-time banjo, and bones add musical versatility to their performances. The Ruckers have been featured tellers at the International Storytelling Center and Festival. Sparky is a natural storyteller, having grown up hearing his father, uncles, and other family members endlessly telling tales. Sparky and Rhonda each tell solo stories, but they also tell stories together (in tandem), always adding life and humor to the characters and tricksters in their Brer Rabbit tales, Jack tales, High John the Conqueror stories, preacher tales, and family stories. Sparky and Rhonda weave their music into captivating stories that the history books don’t always tell, and they share this knowledge in many schools, colleges, and libraries. Their educational programs span over three centuries of African-American history, including slavery, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the birth of blues music, and the civil rights movement. Each era is interspersed with stories and popular songs from the time period, celebrating the diversity of the nation's history. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Historical Fiction, Debut Novel, First Novel, Civil War, Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad, Slavery, Freedom, Runaways, African-Americans, Confederacy, Rebels, Combahee, South Carolina
ISBN: 9781934894507
[Book #83070]
Price: $75.00