Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad

by Mary Kay Ricks

Book Overview

On the evening of April 15, 1848, seventy-seven slaves attempted one of history's most audacious escapes--and put in motion a furiously fought battle over slavery in America that would consume Congress, the streets of the capital, and the White House itself. Setting sail from Washington, D.C., on a schooner named the Pearl, the fugitives began a daring 225-mile journey to freedom in the North. Mary Kay Ricks's unforgettable chronicle brings to...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060786590
• ISBN13: 9780060786595
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Splendid Book, Fascinating Research

The author's knowledge of her subject is remarkable, her writing is graceful, and her judgments are consistently sound. This book is a great read, an exciting tale framed by a sharp, balanced and sensible portrayal of an era of shame, ferment and change in our history. Ricks's literal knowledge of the streets of which she writes makes this book vibrate with authenticity. I enjoyed it consistently--and learned enormously from reading Escape On The Pearl. Since I write fictional accounts of the period myself under the pen-name Owen Parry, I realize how complex a subject this author has taken on--and I can only say that it's humbling to see another writer do a far-better job than one can ever hope to do. This book deserves wide attention and, as readers, let us hope that Ricks will return to the period for additional books in the future.

Illuminating the American experience

Ricks has uncovered rich detail about an almost forgotten incident that illuminates the American character and the American experience in ways that will astonish most readers. Many famous names play a part in the drama she relays--Horace Mann, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Francis Scott Key--but the key players are ordinary men and women desperately trying to establish lives of dignity against tremendous odds. Ricks is to be thanked for her beautifully written account.

Everything history should be and rarely is.

We all know movies and books that are thrillers. "Escape on the Pearl" is a great thriller that really happened! The effect on us is much more moving, knowing that these were real lives in the balance. Throughout, the narrative is woven with fascinating historical details of the pre civil war times in Washington D.C.. Just one small example that truly moved this fiddle player: Slaves were moved from place to place in chained together in groups called coffles, often with a fiddle player playing to push it forward. The clear vision that the author gives of this saddest use of the fiddle brought tears to me. Escape on the Pearl" is a page-turning, emotional roller coaster that you will find hard to put down until you are finished. Clifford Wagner

A Gem of a Book

This is a wonderful book that combines history with a riveting story. Like Ken Burns' "Civil War" series it illuminates great themes--slavery and the battle against it--with rich detail, lovely writing and memorable, previously unknown characters. It is amazing this story hasn't been told before. It reads like a thriller as we follow the slaves on board the Pearl and their escape, wondering if they will make it. The historical sections deepen your knowledge of the characters on board the Pearl, and help you understand better the drama that follows. What is best about this book is that it is really a story about heroes--black and white. At a time when many people feel bad about America, this book reminds us how good this country can be when ordinary people make courageous choices. From a historical point of view I found Ricks' discussion about the "internal slave trade"--the selling of slaves from one part of the south to another and the way that broke up families--revelatory and heart breaking. I have read a great deal about the Civil War and slavery but I hadn't realized before how big this "internal slave trade" was. I can't wait to share this book with my friends, and with our teenaged children. It's a gem.

What a compelling story!

"Escape on the Pearl" shows once again how there are so many fascinating and important stories from our history that are just waiting for a good storyteller to tell. Thankfully, Ricks has done so with the Pearl. The story she tells weaves together slavery, abolition and the politics of Washington with the personal struggles and triumphs of some very courageous people. Combining meticulous research with a passion for the subject matter, Ricks vividly recreates the events and locales in a way that brings to life these people, their hardships, and the times in which they lived. Such a moving, captivating story; so important to tell.