I had never heard of Laurie Halse Anderson until I stumbled on a couple of video interviews with her. I’m so glad I did! After listening to her speak about the growth of the American idea (the Rule of Law for everyone), I knew I wanted to check out her YA trilogy, THE SEEDS OF AMERICA. Immediately, I devoured one book after the other. And whoever I’ve recommended the series to has devoured it too. At some point I need to reread this series to understand why.
How did she make me care so much about the characters? How did I become so absorbed in that world?
Set during the American Revolution, the first book is told from a young slave girl’s perspective and the second is from the perspective of a young boy she meets. And the third… you’ll have to find out for yourself. (If I remember correctly, it took her eight years of writing and research to complete – as long as the Revolutionary War itself…which is a very complicated history. And she used primary sources!) Throughout the book, Halse Anderson comes face to face with the hypocrisy of fighting for freedom of the few. But she also honors the “seeds” that began in an era of blindness about slavery and many other things. (And let’s face it – every era has blindness, including our own.) These “seeds” would one day eradicate slavery, promote justice for all, and give women the right to vote.
Check out the interviews here:
On slavery – https://youtu.be/6D8Jq14wjxk
On George Washington – https://youtu.be/aa-WMxPqTek