One Big Open Sky
One Big Open Sky
4.1/5
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One Big Open Sky

Written by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Hardcover
$18.99
$17.97
8 - 12
Reading age
304
Page count
Mar 5, 2024
Publication date

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What's One Big Open Sky About

Publisher Summary

Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free–or cost them everything they have–in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. 1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land. But Thomas’ hopes–and mouth–are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger. Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die. Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery–but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas’ desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there? Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome’s striking verse masterfully portrays an underrepresented historical era. Tackling powerful themes of autonomy and Black self-emancipation, Cline-Ransome offers readers an intimate look into the lives of three women and an expansive portrait of generations striving for their promised freedom. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

What Kind of Book is One Big Open Sky

Topics

Americahistoryfrontier and pioneer life19th century

Writing Styles

Race, Ethnicities, & Nationalities

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    Book Details

    ISBN
    9780823450169
    Publication Date
    March 5, 2024
    Publisher
    Holiday House
    Page Count
    304
    Reading Age
    8 - 12 years
    Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
    2023034373

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