Reviews of Freedom Bound

Hamilton Loyalist
 June, 2012

Follow our heroine, Charlotte Schyler as she journeys from Canada to join her husband, Nick in Charleston, South Carolina. She is greeted by a friend of Nick's, Captain Braemar, who tells her that Nick has been sent off again (as a courier) and she is to stay at a lovely home where Nick has a room in the officers' quarters. As she is left at the door, she learns that Nick's room has been given over to another young officer before Charlotte arrived. This news begins Charlotte's journey into a working class area of Charleston where she helps a young, widowed Quaker woman deliver washing around town and collect a meager sums from the tight-fisted upper class.

There are strange noises in the night and an eventual hunt. When Nick helps to give a slave freedom, he is recognized as a spy and he disappears. Charlotte camouflages herself as a man, crosses alligator infested swamp land and treks into the mountains looking for Nick.

This book is fast to read since it keeps the reader captivated from beginning to end.

Jean has a wonderful way of educating her readers on the risks taken and the perseverance required to live life during the American Revolution in South Carolina, where more battles ensued than anywhere else in the thirteen colonies.

This book has already received 5 stars out of 5 from the National Post's "Book Review for Kids" and I believe this will be only the beginning of many awards to come.
Reviewer: Ruth Nicholson UE

Hamilton Spectator
 April 28, 2012

Hamilton author Jean Rae Baxter’s Freedom Bound, the last in a historical trilogy, is a page-turner wrapped in authentic, historical research, a hallmark of Baxter’s young-adult novels.

Freedom Bound finds protagonist Charlotte married and settling in Charleston, S.C., during the final days of the American Revolution.

There’s a lot at stake: the repulsive reality of slavery and the slaves’ struggle for freedom; the dangers behind every door, be it Loyalist or Revolutionary, and Charlotte’s unabashed bravery in saving her husband from falling into the wrong hands and tried as a spy.

The details fuel the energy and drive the story. Baxter communicates on two levels, weaving historical detail into a formidable tale while positioning it at younger readers who readily soak up the adventure and the exciting history.

My granddaughter summed it up: “Wow, can that lady write.”
Reviewer: Don Graves

National Post
 March 16, 2012

Freedom Bound by Jean Rae Baxter was an incredible conclusion to the author’s bestselling trilogy which captivated my imagination. From the first line in the story, you become intrigued by young Charlotte Shcyler’s story. At 18 years old, Charlotte is sailing from Canada to join her new husband, Nick in Charleston where the American Revolution rages on. From the moment Charlotte steps off the putrid, filth-ridden ship, she is met with challenges. From rescuing Nick from an alligator infested swamp to setting two slaves she has befriended free, Charlotte is an impeccably strong character.

This novel’s 256 pages are filled to the brim with not only historical details that touch on slavery, battles, and more, but are also full of creative flair from the author. Described with great accuracy and detail is a troubled time in an even more troubled place, every citizen divided by race, gender, age and most importantly, whether you were Loyalist or Patriot. Baxter’s stellar novel gets 5 out of 5 stars from me!
Reviewer: Shauna Freemantle

American Library Association Booklist Online
 April 1, 2012

In this stand-alone trilogy closer, the final months of the American Revolution are viewed through the loyalist eyes of 18-year-old Charlotte, who sails from Quebec to Charleston to join her husband, Nick, only to learn that he’s been dispatched into “rebel” country on a secret mission. Baxter pitches her intrepid heroine into one imbroglio after another, as Charlotte’s stay with a Quaker widow involves her in repeatedly helping runaway slaves Phoebe and Jammy (and Phoebe’s baby, Noah, sired by her former master) escape capture and recapture, traveling into the swamp disguised as a boy to rescue Nick from captivity, and discovering evidence that one of the city’s most prominent citizens has been selling arms to General Greene. Filled with information about battles and other historical events, Baxter’s narrative ends with a lively final escapade as Nick and Charlotte smuggle Phoebe and Noah aboard a ship evacuating loyalists to Nova Scotia. The tale’s dependence on happenstance and conveniently overheard conversations are more than compensated by the nonstop pacing and unusual angle of view.
Reviewer: John Peters