I skim read much of this title to get an overview of Equiano's story. The found poetry style didn't draw me in. Instead, I would have preferred a more traditional biography or to read Equiano's original writings. However, I do think this style will draw in many young adult readers, with the explanatory essays providing good background that could be useful in school settings. I also like the global perspective of the book which comes from Equiano's wide travels, as well as his final home in England where he was part of the abolitionist movement. A change from the many books about slavery which focus on the American slave experience. Equiano is a fascinating person who deserves to be more widely known.
Review based on an eARC from Netgalley.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This was an interesting way to introduce readers to Oludah Equiano and his writing. Because of the time period that he was writing, his works are not the easiest to understand for younger readers. This allows readers to read his works in a way that is more accessible and understand what he was saying. It can also serve as an introduction to further study.

What an absolutely extraordinary work of art, and a fascinating and creative way to introduce young readers to a foundational historical text. Using poetry to explicate and comment upon a historical narrative is an ingeniously creative move that makes one of history's (rightfully) most famous autobiographies accessible to a broad range of readers, and empowers them to draw connections between our pasts and presents. Incredibly well done.

I do not know what to make of found verse where others take someone's words and transform them into free verse as Edinger and Younge do here. When I requested the book on netgalley I did not realize that the book was in found verse or recognize that it transformed his autobiography which I have read before. Having read the autobiography in its original form, I can attest that Edinger and Younge made it eminently more readable and added bits of historical context to help anchor the narrative. I enjoyed the read but don't know where I stand on the manipulation of Equiano's words.

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The authors of this work took Olaudah Equiano's first-person narrative and transformed it into found poems for young people. This examination of one enslaved person's experiences truly came to life in this powerful interpretation of the original text.

Nearer my Freedom and is excellent retelling of the life of Olaudah Equiano. I did not know his story personally, and now I am grateful for this new and thorough way to understand the slave trade. More importantly, this book shows me the humanity and full picture of Equiano, from childhood to adulthood. I love that the authors of this book use his own words. The "found verse" structure of this book is a compelling way to tell the story, and will help younger readers access it. Verse is particularly effective in getting across the emotion of the text, so that words like "sorrow" and "separation" on their own lines can SHOW the reader as much as it tells them about how dehumanizing and terrible slavery was. I also appreciate the historical context that the authors provide at different sections of the text. The maps are also really edifying.

There's no excuse for not knowing about this time in history. It still defines us, and we will never grow from it until we reckon with it.

I highly recommend this book for adolescents and older, for the classroom and for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

This is a remarkable "translation" of the original text into verse, making it a resonant and poignant read for the contemporary reader. Highly recommend.

A verse nonfiction told through found poems collected from Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography. Such an accessible way to bring a primary source to life, particularly for secondary teachers/students. Young readers will have an entry point into complex themes surrounding not only the slave trade, slavery, abolition, & the historical milieu of the second half of the 18th century, but also a nuanced life full of love, loss, faith, & struggle. Careful attention was clearly paid to being true to Equiano’s words; as a result, the vocabulary will still be a challenge for some adolescent readers, but the structure & background information will help the youngest readers continue to make sense of a life who “by its observation, we [as readers] become better and wiser.”

For educators, parents, & guardians looking to put a person-first book set during the Atlantic slave trade in the hands of adolescent readers, I would start here.

Nearer My Freedom is a fascinating approach to historical storytelling. I appreciated the use of primary sources and the creativity in presentation found poetry. A story and worthwhile reading experience for young readers, and an ideal mentor text for literacy-focused classrooms.

What an interesting person! I first heard of Equiano at the NMAAHC museum in DC, but this book was unique in that it was a retelling of his famous autobiography, but told in found verse in his own words. The meat of his story was there, but told poetically. It was just a really unique read. I find the complexity of his relationship to slavery fascinating: a man who was once enslaved and earned his freedom working temporarily in the slave trade himself before dedicating his life to abolition. That’s a conversation starter for sure and probably caused considerable thought and reflection throughout his life. I was sad he only got 5 years with his wife though. :(

This is a perfect example of what an adaptation of an older text should be.

Olaudah Equiano had an incredibly fascinating life and later in life he wrote what would become the most successful book in the West written by a Black author-- a book that was quoted for antislavery laws and still studied today. He was kidnapped as a child from Africa and sent on a ship as a slave, but when slavers noticed his interest in nautical instruments, he was sent to be a slave onboard ships in the Royal Navy. While there, he was educated, treated better than a field slave, and saw battles during the 7 years war among many other historical happenings of the late 18th century. He was bought and sold many times, but his education and reputation as a sailor kept him from the sugar plantations. Eventually he was able to buy his freedom, where he returned to England and began work as a spokesperson for the abolitionist movement.

The author of this book took Equiano's autobiography and created blackout poetry with it. So while it's still Equiano's words and experience, it has been creatively crafted into a digestible and interesting format for modern readers. It is sprinkled with relative historical information for slightly more context every few pages. Overall, I think this is a creative, engaging, and informative way to bring this firs-hand account of 18th century slavery to a new audience.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Nothing absolutely nothing grabs the attention of youth to learn about history from a boring text to a translation of the historical text to spoken word and poetic imagination! The device used to insert the youthful reader into the life of Olaudah's personal experiences as a slave who finds himself enslaved helps to propel the reader into the past reality of the horror of enslavement as well as at the same time reflect on the current horrors of the African American experience of different kinds of horrors and enslavement in America today! One cannot read this and not think of the death of George Floyd and others who were also by no fault of their own taken to depths of illegal lockup and death. This book is a way to reflect on the past to look at similar conditions of the present in the lives of African Americans
And see that in time like Olaudah a way to freedom!

I enjoyed this book because of the verse (poem), and after each one, there was a glimpse or a description of history. As an educator, I think it is a great way to keep students engaged in the story. I had heard of Olaudah Equiano and knew some of his stories, but this book has taught me more. Even though it has some difficult subject matter, it can be a learning tool in the classroom for older students.

This was emotional and hard to stomach. Some of the things in this book are difficult to comprehend and the level of detail is amazing. The writing captured me from the very beginning too. This was very interesting to read!

I just had to pick this up. It’s children’s non fiction , something that I find comes rarely. Children are always asking questions, in some sense it feels like they themselves are doing that unintentionally. This was great. Highly recommend!