Chains

Front Cover
Simon and Schuster, Aug 2, 2011 - Juvenile Fiction - 336 pages
From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling first novel in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel.

When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

From inside the book

Selected pages

Contents

Section 1
3
Section 2
8
Section 3
13
Section 4
24
Section 5
26
Section 6
36
Section 7
42
Section 8
48
Section 23
169
Section 24
172
Section 25
177
Section 26
185
Section 27
191
Section 28
196
Section 29
200
Section 30
206

Section 9
53
Section 10
68
Section 11
75
Section 12
85
Section 13
105
Section 14
111
Section 15
117
Section 16
123
Section 17
130
Section 18
141
Section 19
146
Section 20
149
Section 21
157
Section 22
162
Section 31
215
Section 32
224
Section 33
232
Section 34
242
Section 35
250
Section 36
256
Section 37
270
Section 38
279
Section 39
289
Section 40
296
Section 41
301
Section 42
303
Section 43
314
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2011)

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. She’s twice been a National Book Award finalist, for Chains and Speak; Chains also received the 2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Laurie was chosen for the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award and received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2023, presented to her by the Crown Princess of Sweden. She lives in Pennsylvania, and you can follow her adventures on X (previously known as Twitter) @HalseAnderson or visit her at MadWomanintheForest.com.