Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Freedom's Call by Douglas Cornelius, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Freedom's Call
Author: Douglas Cornelius
Publisher: Crosslink Publishing
Release Date: October 1, 2020
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Christian Historical Fiction
Just moments earlier, the steamboat at Brady's command had rounded the Mississippi river-bend effortlessly. But then a sudden explosion causes fourteen-year-old Brady to fail his cub-pilot test, shattering his dream. What's more, the explosion takes the life of a family member, and now revenge grabs hold of Brady's heart. He blames a black deck hand, William Wells Brown, who flees and becomes a fugitive slave.
Brady reluctantly takes an apprentice job for abolitionist newspaperman Elijah Lovejoy. Would Lovejoy's Christian message soften Brady's heart? Or would his fondness for mixed-race office mate Charlotte? Brady remains conflicted, and spirals to a new low. But when an angry mob seizes Lovejoy's printing press and dumps it in the river, Brady is called to escort a new press via steamboat along the river that Mark Twain would make famous. Danger lurks around every bend, whether from river pirates or pro-slavery thugs.
When Lovejoy's fate is in the hands of an enraged mob, will Brady become more than a champion of freedom of the press? Will he ever meet up with Brown again? What role will Charlotte play?
Based on true stories featuring the lives of two noted figures of the pre-Civil War era: Elijah Lovejoy, Christian newspaper abolitionist, whom Lincoln knew, and William Wells Brown, a fugitive slave who became a famous author documenting the plight of the slaves.
My Review:
Based on true life stories, Freedom's Call is a story of convictions and coming of age in the years prior to the Civil War.
Brady Scott finds his dreams dashed in a horrible accident that takes the life of his mother, leaving him bent on revenge and bitter. He takes a job working for Elijah Lovejoy, an abolitionist writer and publisher, in order to bide his time searching for the right opportunity to pursue his dreams.
A quick read, this book brings to life years leading up to the Civil War and the attitudes of the people living in that time. I loved how this book wasn't afraid to talk about those issues, and conflicts in a realistic and reasonable way, showing how the current events and the work of Mr. Lovejoy challenged people to think of things that they might not have questioned before.
Brady is a great protagonist, and I loved his arc throughout the course of the book. Charlotte is an intelligent and industrious young woman, and I enjoyed her friendship with Brady. A story of growth, faith and forgiveness, that will appeal to adults as well as teen to middle grade readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With his writing, Doug gravitates to story that reveals history, as that is the most interesting way to comprehend it. A fast-paced tale with strong characters revealing a loving and gracious God triumphs any day. Hence, Doug tries to provide quick reads with meaningful glimpses of times past—stories of faith and life that transcend their historical timelines. Hopefully, they will linger in minds longer than the time it takes to read them, as therein lies success.
A graduate of Cornell University, Doug currently serves on the Board of the Minnesota Inventors’ Hall of Fame, and when not writing, may be found in middle-school classrooms, inspiring kids to become inventors, or speaking on behalf of Feed My Starving Children. He has been married over 44 years to wife Leslie, with children Brian and Cristina, and three grandchildren.
Two of Doug’s previous books are Award-winners:
- 2018 Illuminate – Juvenile/YA Fiction – Silver Award for The Baker’s Daughter: Braving Evil in WW II Berlin (LPC Publishing).
- 2017 Moonbeam Children’s – YA Fiction-Religion – Silver Award for Da Vinci’s Disciples.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of Freedom's Call!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight September 28, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on October 5, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
Good Morning! Your book sounds great and I'm glad I got to learn about it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! - JustRead Tours
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review, sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI liked your review, thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really great read.
ReplyDelete