Promises to the Dead

by Mary Downing Hahn

Book Overview

When Jesse went down to the marsh on that fateful day, he expected to find a turtle for terrapin soup. Instead, he comes across a dying slave woman who makes Jesse promise he'll take her young son, Perry, to a relative in Baltimore. Aiding and abetting a slave is against the law, and it also goes against everything Jesse has been taught to believe. But he can't break a promise to the dead, and, more important, he has to follow what he knows in his...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0547258380
• ISBN13: 9780547258386
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Hardcover??

I ordered the hard copy of this book & received a paper back. Yes I paid for the hardback copy.

Mary Downing Hahn books

ALL HER BOOKS ARE THE BEST. MY GRANDDAUGHTER WHO IS 10 LOVES THESE BOOKS AND HAS READ ALMOST ALL OF THEM.

Mary Drowning Hahn

This book, Promises to the Dead, is a great book that took place during the Civil War time. It begins when Jesse is hunting turtles for the family's famous soup in the family down in the creek. The next thing he knows is that he's finding himself promising a dying slave women that he'll take her young son, Perry, to a relative in Baltimore. Caring for a slave was against the law and against everthing Jesse was thought. He can't break a promise made to the dead and more importanly, he must follow what in his heart is right. The journey turns out complety different from what Jesse thought. He comes upon many hard decisions and tough choices he must do for what he thinks is right. Does Jesse make it through? Read the book to find out!! I did like the book because it was suspensful and tought you to do was right from wrong. It really made you think of what is important in life. I would recommend the book if you like to be in suspense and if you like books on Historical Fiction and wars.

review

i thought this book was very interesting it told a lot about how it was when there was slaves.people who like mysteries and thrillers should read this i think mary downing is a great writer and that everyone should read it to find out what it was really like in a persons point of view that was there when there was slaves.

Promises to the dead

(...)I just got done reading the book Promises to the Dead. Promises to the Dead is a mystery book. It's about a boy who has to take a slave woman's child to a relative in Baltimore. When they get there, they find out that the relative wasn't there. So,they go on a journey to find her. Along the way, they get into some trouble. If you like mystery books, you should definitely read this book.

An engaging, different story of a move to freedom.

Jesse's search for turtles in a swamp leads him to newresponsibilities and reluctant encounters with slavery as he makes apromise to a dying slave woman that her young son will be taken to asafe home in Baltimore. Jesse's beliefs conflict with his promise and are complicated by his young charge's stubbornness in this different story of a move to freedom.