The Freedom Game

Book Boy, a brilliant young slave in the Cherokee Territory, longs to live in freedom with his love, Misty. He is called Book Boy because of his unique ability to read and write, which is forbidden by the harsh Cherokee slave laws. Calling on all of his skills and ingenuity, Book Boy engineers the escape of twenty-five slaves from the Cherokee plantation where he was raised, the only home he has ever known. Guided by Jumping Ben, a courageous Cherokee hunter who risks everything to help the desperate slaves, they struggle through the wilderness. Both natural obstacles and human enemies conspire to make their journey to freedom an extremely dangerous one. As the romance between Book Boy and Misty blossoms, it is complicated not only by the hardships they must face, but also by the desires of another slave, Millie, whose affections for Book Boy will not be denied. Inspired by the actual events of the Slave Revolt of 1842, The Freedom Game imagines the personalities and details of this remarkable piece of American slave history.