[LM_NET] BOOK: Voyage of Midnight by Torrey

[Frederick Muller <mullinator52@GMAIL.COM>]

Torry, Michele. Voyage of midnight. Knopf, 2006 [0-375-82382-4]
Philip thinks he is an orphan doomed to a hard life until his seafaring
uncle shows up and promptly disappears.  Eventually Philip finds him in New
Orleans and takes on his ship as assistant to the surgeon.   Soon after the
voyage starts Philip figures out that his uncle is a slave trader and they
are on their way to Africa to pick up a load of slaves.  This 232 page book
shows the harsh cruelty of the slave trade, the callous attitude of the
white people toward there cargo and the terrible realities of life on a
slave ship.  The slaves on the begin to respect Philip, thinking he will
save them from this horrible misery.   There are historical notes at the end
of the book in which the author describes how Philip is based a compilation
of several true historical figures.  While this is not a very long book, it
is vivid, yet not overly so,  in its depiction of the harsh realities of the
slave trade.. an interesting contrast to Fox's "Slave Dancer."

-- 
Frederick Muller, Librarian
Halsted Middle School Library
Newton, NJ
mullinator52@gmail.com
My book reviews are compiled at http://www.mullersreviews.com
My book review blog is at http://MullerInTheMiddle.blogspot.com

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