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

The average rating for Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-05-26 00:00:00 Dominic Moore Let me start with this: the title of the book is misleading. The escape is over in the first 50 pages. The rest of the book is a history of slavery in and around the nation's capital. Not that I mind learning about that... but it wasn't what I chose this book for. Also, the storytelling for the other 90% of the book is dry and disjointed, jumping around the various characters in a way that made it a painful read. Much of the details are unnecessary... for example, which lot in a certain neighborhood a certain family lived in. It's as if the author felt the need to include every single detail she uncovered in her research. A more aggressive editor could have helped this book a lot. I forced myself to finish it, only because that's how I am.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-08-07 00:00:00 Gary Anderson Fascinating I did not enjoy the book for at least the first hundred pages. It was difficult to connect with members of the family and seemed quite dry. However, on picking it up again, I thought it was fascinating. I enjoy American history , and this became a very good textbook read after that. I lived in Washington DC for 35 years, so I found all the descriptions of buildings and streets interesting. I could place much of it. I also grew up in the Hartford, Connecticut area so know a lot about Harriet Beecher Stowe. That part was interesting. It also helped with confirming some of the other books I've read, fiction and nonfiction, regarding slavery. I do rather strongly think that you need to like reading about early American history to enjoy it. Otherwise, it might not be such a fascinating read. The one thing I came away with was the strength and nobility of the family. And what a horrible Injustice slavery was, and how evil and hard headed some people could be. And how Congress has not really changed, but for the gunfights.