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Christmas Union - Quaker Abolitionists of Chester County, Pa. by Murray Pura, Karen Anna Vogel
maco's review
5.0
This story takes place just after the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act. Abolitionist Quakers in the north, having been working on the Underground Railroad, are now in trouble. They can be fined $1000 and sent to prison for 6 months for feeding and clothing the runaways who come to them. They justify this by pointing out that they are called to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless. It's their religious freedom.
On the other side of things, some Quakers (who, in this book are shown to be coming at this from a racist perspective) say the abolitionists are breaking a Biblical commandment to follow the laws of the land. Some of them seem to not want to believe that slavery is "that bad." They read out the abolitionist members of their Meetings, to distance themselves from law-breakers. The abolitionists, in return, set up the Society for Progressive Friends, a new branch of Quakerism. The "send them all back to Africa" sentiment common to both abolitionist and non-abolitionist northerners makes an appearance.
This is all historically accurate. Now for the fiction part of this historical fiction:
Rebecca Mendenhall is from an abolitionist family. She is engaged to marry Johnny Whittier, cousin to John Greenleaf Whittier. Johnny's father is an ardent anti-abolitionist, and when the law comes into effect he insists John break off the engagement. Rebecca doesn't want that, so she pleads with Johnny to read Sojourner Truth's book and contact his cousin, even as she continues to operate as part of the Underground Railroad.
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Aside from the story bits, I particularly appreciated the moment when Eliza, a black woman, tells Rebecca that she has her own voice and can speak for her own self if she feels it necessary, so let her.
On the other side of things, some Quakers (who, in this book are shown to be coming at this from a racist perspective) say the abolitionists are breaking a Biblical commandment to follow the laws of the land. Some of them seem to not want to believe that slavery is "that bad." They read out the abolitionist members of their Meetings, to distance themselves from law-breakers. The abolitionists, in return, set up the Society for Progressive Friends, a new branch of Quakerism. The "send them all back to Africa" sentiment common to both abolitionist and non-abolitionist northerners makes an appearance.
This is all historically accurate. Now for the fiction part of this historical fiction:
Rebecca Mendenhall is from an abolitionist family. She is engaged to marry Johnny Whittier, cousin to John Greenleaf Whittier. Johnny's father is an ardent anti-abolitionist, and when the law comes into effect he insists John break off the engagement. Rebecca doesn't want that, so she pleads with Johnny to read Sojourner Truth's book and contact his cousin, even as she continues to operate as part of the Underground Railroad.
-----
Aside from the story bits, I particularly appreciated the moment when Eliza, a black woman, tells Rebecca that she has her own voice and can speak for her own self if she feels it necessary, so let her.