This is the story of Elijah, the first free child born in the Canadian settlement of Buxton, near Detroit on the Canadian border. Elijah struggles with his reputation as a “fra-gile child,” but soon learns about his own inner strength when Mr. Leroy asks him to accompany him to America to seek vengeance upon the man who Mr. Leroy entrusted with the money to free his family, only to have it stolen and gambled away. In this coming of age story, Elijah learns some important and difficult lessons about the world, and also learns the importance of being brave and doing the right thing.Elijah’s hometown of Buxton is modeled after the real Buxton. This book is an excellent work of historical fiction that would be a wonderful addition to a study of slavery in a United States history classroom. Elijah is a sweet, sensitive child who it is easy to like and relate to. However, he is a brave child, not afraid to do what must be done to help those he loves.
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