Racing to Freedom--Three Terrifc Books

Hey, guys, I've got not one, not two, but three really terrific books for you. It's the Racing To Freedom Trilogy by Alison Hart. They're about young Gabriel Alexander, an African-American boy born as a slave on Woodville Farms near Lexington, Kentucky. It's 1864 as the story starts and the Civil War is raging. Even though there's no fighting in Kentucky, there are Rebel raiders hiding everywhere, waiting to steal horses and shoot anyone who tries to stop them. Here are biref summeries of each book:

Gabriel's Horses--Gabriel and his Pa keep the horses at Woodville Farms. Mister Giles, the owner, enters his horses in the Lexingotn races but there are Rebel raiders who also want them. How can a poor boy stop bad men with guns?

Gabriels' Triumph--Mr. Giles is so impressed by Gabe's ability to ride that he makes Gabe a jockey. Gabe is so good that he gets his freedom. In this book, Mr. Giles enters Gabe and his best horse in the races in Saratoga Springs, New York, the finest race track in the country. But some people don't want a poor boy from Kentucky winning this race and will do anything--anything--to stop him.

Gabriel's Journey--Gabriel decdes that being a winning jockey is not enough and joins the Union Army to fight for the freedom his people crave. He's too young to be a soldier but he can use his skill with horses to help the black cavalry. His unit is called out to fight before they're ready and sent to the Battle of Saltville, Virginia. The Confederates hate black soldiers and will have no mercy on them--and the worst part is that Gabe's Pa is one of those soldiers!




I tell you, guys, these books are TERRIFIC!! Alison Hart really knows how to tell a story and make you feel that you're in the middle of it. You feel the thrill of thundering down a race track or hear the bullets from the enemy whiz past you. And she knows how to punch up a story with action and build up so much suspense that you can hardly stand it. Don't miss these books! You will really enjoy them!!

PS--I reviewed Gabriels' Horses back in February. Click here to see that review. The library didn't have the third book and I had to wait until they ordered it before I reviewed the other two. In the meantime, Ms. Hart read that review and was so pleased that she sent me the whole trilogy! She even acknowledged that BOYS RULE and, for that, we made her an Honorary Guy.