Orpha's silence about her past shrouds her time in prison in mystery, leaving readers to wonder about the events that led to her incarceration. As she navigates life behind bars, the story explores themes of trauma, resilience, and the quest for redemption. Through her interactions with other inmates and the challenges she faces, Orpha's journey reveals the complexities of human experience and the struggle to reclaim one's voice amidst adversity.
Family, school, and life in general are seen through the writings of four fifth graders who have been taken out of an overcrowded New York City classroom and placed with a teacher who shows them how to write and how to believe in themselves.
Alabama, 1861. Die 12-jährige Sklavin Phoebe ist vom Mut der 19-jährigen „Unruhestifterin“ Liney fasziniert. Als die Unmenschlichkeit auf der Plantage unerträglich wird, wagen die beiden zusammen mit Lineys kleinen Kindern die Flucht. Noch ahnen sie nicht, welche monatelangen Strapazen und Gefahren ihnen auf dem „Underground Railway“, einer geheimen Route in die Freiheit, bevorstehen.