This is a Newberry award winning book. It is set in the American south.  It tells the story about a boy named Homer and his sister Ada, who escape a slave plantation by jumping into a river. They make their way to a forest, where they learn about a society, known as Freewater. There they learn a new way of life as free people. But Homer always feels guilty for leaving his Mom and his best friend Anna behind.

Historically, these secret communities, set up by runaway slaves, were called Maroons. This was a really interesting book since it taught me about a whole part of American history that I had never heard about.  I really enjoy this kind of historical fiction.  

I did have one issue with the format of the book as it was told in many different perspectives with no clear order and is hard to grasp for the first few chapters. There are also simultaneous stories that seem unrelated in the beginning.  Stick with it, because it all makes sense in the end and so worth it. 

All in all, I definitely recommend this book to readers tweens and teens. What I liked most about it, is that it takes a serious topic and breaks it down for young readers.