Love finds you in Liberty, Indiana

Love finds you in Liberty, Indiana

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Average rating4

15

I normally don't pick up books that look like cheesy romance novels, and this one certainly has a cheesy romance title. But it was about the Underground Railroad, which I thought sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised!

It follows Anna Brent, a Quaker who helps her father operate a secret safe house for runaway slaves. At the beginning of the book, the Fugitive Slave Act is passed, which makes their work even more dangerous. They continue to help runaway slaves on their way to Canada, but they have to be much more careful.

Meanwhile, Daniel Stanton, the editor of a local newspaper, fights slavery in a different way- by writing bold abolitionist articles. He finds his work to be dangerous too, as there are people who dislike his strong words.

This was a romance novel, but there wasn't any romance at all until the last quarter of the book, and it was very discreet, which I appreciated. I was actually surprised about the way the story progressed, but I ended up really liking it.

The best part for me was the way the book showed the different ways to fight against social injustice- quietly and secretly helping people, or loudly and boldly proclaiming truth. It showed pros and cons of each approach, and in the end Anna and Daniel found a way to do both and make it work.

Another lesson I learned: you can't always judge a book by its title!

August 8, 2018Report this review