Freedom's Song by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Freedom's Song

Book Summary

Indentured servant Fanny Beck has been forced to sing for riverboat passengers since she was a girl. All she wants is to live a quiet, humble life with her family as soon as her seven-year contract is over. However, when she discovers that the captain has no intention of releasing her, she seizes a sudden opportunity to escape--an impulse that leads Fanny to a group of enslaved people who are on their own dangerous quest for liberty. . . .

Widower Walter Kuhn is overwhelmed by his responsibilities to his farm and young daughter, and now his mail-order bride hasn't arrived. Could a beautiful stranger seeking work be the answer to his prayers? . . .

After the star performer of the River Peacock is presumed drowned, Sloan Kirkpatrick, the riverboat's captain, sets off to find her replacement. However, his journey will bring him face to face with his own past--and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be free. . . .

Uplifting, inspiring, and grounded in biblical truth, Freedom's Song is a story for every reader who has longed for physical, emotional, or spiritual delivery.

My Thoughts

Fanny Beck is an indentured servant for Sloan Kirkpatrick, a riverboat captain.  Fanny’s father indentured her in exchange for passage for the rest of his family to America.  Unfortunately, Fanny’s father did not realize the fine print indentured Fanny for seven years for each family member which is 35 years instead of the seven Fanny believes.  When a fire on the ship gives Fanny a chance to escape, she grabs it.  It sends her on a journey where she encounters people in need including Walter Kuhn, a widower with a young daughter.  Walter needs someone to watch his daughter until his mail order bride arrives.  Fanny wants to get to New York to reunite with her family, but she needs to earn more funds for the train ride.  In the meantime, Sloan is scouring the Midwest looking for a singer for his riverboat.  What is God’s plan for Fanny?  

Freedom’s Song by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a heartwarming historical novel.  I thought it was well-written with realistic, developed characters.  Sloan is an opportunistic riverboat captain who takes advantage of a man’s inability to read or write.  Fanny is a sweet woman who has led a hard life.  She just wants to rejoin her family whom she has not seen in seven years.  Fanny is a woman of great faith.  She relies on God to direct her journey.  The romance element is sweet.  I like that it happened slowly and was not rushed.  I enjoyed the “embarrassing” moments between Fanny and Walter.  This is a clean story which I appreciated (no intimate situations or foul language).  The theme of freedom (physical, emotional, and spiritual) was woven throughout the story.  It was well-done.  I wish there had been an update on Enoch and his family.  They were such wonderful characters and I wanted to know how their journey ended.  I liked that the story had emotion, suspense, romance, drama, and faith.  There is some predictability to the story, but that did not diminish my reading pleasure.  I can tell the author did her research for this story.  She captured the time period and included good details that enhance the story (the difficulties of traveling by stagecoach for example).  Freedom’s Song is an inspiring, emotional story that was a joy to read.  

Freedom's Song is available from Amazon*.  You can find Kim Vogel Sawyer's other novels here.  I appreciate you joining me today and reading my thoughts on Freedom's Song. Here are some of the other novels that were published today:  In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace, Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber, A Christmas Courtship by Shelley Shepard Gray, and Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout.   I will be back tomorrow with Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber.  I hope that you have a joyful day.  Take care of yourself, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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