The key to Follett's absorbing new historical novel (after A Dangerous Fortune) lies in words that ``made a slave of every Scottish miner's son'' in the 1700s: ``I pledge this child to work in [the laird's] mines, boy and man, for as long as he is able, or until he die.'' When young Malachi (Mack) McAsh challenges this practice, citing its illegality, he begins a pattern of rebelling against authority while pursuing justice. Mack's dangerous quest for freedom makes him a fugitive in High Glen, where he is brutally punished by Sir George Jamisson in retaliation for his intention to quit the mines. After escaping to London, Mack confronts injustice again when he tries to break the monopoly of ``undertakers,'' who furnish crews to unload coal from ships; arrested and tried, he is transported to Virginia as an indentured servant. All this time, his fate is intertwined with that of Lizzie Hallim, daughter of the impoverished laird of High Glen, who is as spirited, independent-minded and daring as is Mack himself. (Readers may not quite believe her sexual aggressiveness, but Follett knows how to strike chords with feminists.) But Lizzie is gentry, so she must marry Jay, the younger Jamisson son. Follett adroitly escalates the suspense by mixing intrigue and danger, tinged with ironic complications. He also provides authoritative background detail, including specifics about the brutal working conditions of mine workers and coal heavers and the routine of an American tobacco plantation. History is served by references to real-life English liberal John Wilkes, who challenged the established view that the virtual enslavement of ``common'' men by aristocrats was God's will, and events in Virginia as the Colonies move toward rebellion. If the dialogue sometimes seems lifted from a bodice-ripper, and if far-fetched coincidences keep flinging Lizzie and Mack together, these flaws are redeemed by Follett's vigorous narrative drive and keen eye for character. BOMC and QPB main selections.
Larger-than-life characters, and an epic plot brimming with the energy of his internationally-acclaimed thrillers make Ken Follett's A Place Called Freedom an experience not to be missed. This lush novel-set in 1766 England and America-evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines, while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the western frontier-if they're brave enough to take it. Spanning two continents and bringing together an unforgettable cast of heroes, villains, and rebels, A Place Called Freedom is a magnificent epic of love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Narrator Simon Prebble's masterful use of voice and pacing captures a vivid cast of characters, and the powerful destiny that shapes their lives.
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A Place Called Freedom
Larger-than-life characters, and an epic plot brimming with the energy of his internationally-acclaimed thrillers make Ken Follett's A Place Called Freedom an experience not to be missed. This lush novel-set in 1766 England and America-evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines, while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the western frontier-if they're brave enough to take it. Spanning two continents and bringing together an unforgettable cast of heroes, villains, and rebels, A Place Called Freedom is a magnificent epic of love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Narrator Simon Prebble's masterful use of voice and pacing captures a vivid cast of characters, and the powerful destiny that shapes their lives.
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940170729579 |
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Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
Publication date: | 04/07/2015 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
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