Tuesday, September 6, 2016

A Place Called Freedom: an Audible Book Review

Those who know me know that I am a huge historical fiction fan and that one of my favorite authors is Ken Follett.  My love affair with this author started in the 80's when I first read The Eye of the Needle, which remains one of my favorite books of this genre.



So I don't know how I missed this novel, A Place Called Freedom, that was published in 1995.  I came across this as I was browsing through audible. com.  We listened to it while we were on our road trip a week or so ago.  In true Follett fashion, this book grabs you with the characters that you love and some that you love to hate, and weaves you through history teaching you without you realizing that you are having a lesson.

This novel was narrated by Simon Prebble who, I thought, did an excellent job.  It was the perfect book for a road trip.  Fifteen hours in length and the time just flew by!!  This is a story of Mack McAsh, a Scottish coalminer owned by a prominent wealthy family.  Mack's father had also been a coalminer and was traditional for all coalminers in that day, was given a stipend when his son was born, ensuring that the child would also become a coalminer and the property of the owner.  The tides are changing and John Wilkes is speaking out about the fact that a child cannot be sold into slavery. He states that once the child is an adult he is free to leave.  The law states that an adult, once he has worked in the coal mines for one year and one day becomes slave to his employer.  Mack is fast reaching that one year and one day point when he stands up in church one day and announces that he is a free man and that no man can own him.

Thus starts the story that winds through coal country to London to Colonies, still owned by the British.  The story interweaves Mack McAsh and the family that owns him, including the wife of the youngest son, who is drawn to Mack and his ideals, his integrity and his morals.

I would reccomend this audible book or the novel very highly, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction.  

4 comments:

  1. I have never read any of his books. I need to get busy and tackle one. So many books out there that are calling my name! When do you get to move??

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    1. We close on this house and the new house by the 16th of the month. No date certain yet. Then it is going to depend on the current owners of the house our currrent owners are moving into. Our current owners are packed and ready to go as soon as their house opens up.

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    2. That's good. I can imagine that you are getting very anxious to put this all behind you!

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