True North: Tice’s Story

Journalist and consultant Leslie (Midnight Rider for the Morning Star) delves into the obstacles runaway slaves encountered prior to the Civil War. Nineteen-year-old Tice was born and raised on a plantation near Maysville, Ky. His mother is dead and his father sold by the time a stranger hints that he is willing to help Tice escape to freedom. When the opportunity arises, Tice makes it across the Ohio River and is soon guided by members of the Underground Railroad. Because of the Fugitive Slave Law, getting north does not mean freedom, and Mason, the plantation foreman, relentlessly tracks Tice. Leslie vividly describes the plight of runaway slaves, noting differences between biblical slavery and its 19th-century version. He includes a smattering of historical figures, Henry David Thoreau and Hannibal Hamlin among them, in his fictional cast of characters and details notable stops along the Underground Railroad. Tice exhibits a deep religious confidence that will endear him to readers of inspirational literature. While the main plot is a work of fiction, the well-researched historical elements make it believable and even, at times, educational. (BookLife)