A Picture Of Freedom: The Diary Of Clotee, A Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (1997) - Plot & Excerpts
Patria C. McKissack is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Lizzie Passmore who had been a slave in Alabama. She had somehow learned to read and write, and after the Civil War, taught children near Clayton, Alabama. Although McKissack knows little about her ancestor, she created the character of Clotee based on Lizzie Passmore.In 1859 in Virginia, life on the tobacco plantation is hard for those who are enslaved there. Most work in the fields, but some are assigned to the house and stable, and we learn that while that work was sometimes less physically grueling, there was more of it - house slaves were on call 24 hours a day in case their masters needed anything. What we would consider brutal mistreatment was commonplace - a woman slapped because her mistress was n a bad mood, a man beaten to death by the aster because he had obeyed an order from the master's son.Clotee is about 12 and has managed to learn to read and write as she fans the young master during his lessons. While she delights in learning new words and concepts, this is dangerous - a slave who can red and write is considered dangerous and may be sold into the brutal deep South or even killed. But Clotee guards her secret, and she tries to imagine what freedom might look like, She becomes aware of abolitionists even right there in Virginia.Perhaps the most important information this book provides is that even a man born and brought up in Virginia might be an abolitionist and a conductor on the Underground Railroad. It was dangerous for slaves to try to escape their bondage. It was even more dangerous for a white man to assist them; he was seen as a traitor to his heritage. It is unfortunate that men such as the fictitious Mr. Harms did exist and did risk their lives to move people to Canada and freedom.The Dear America series helps provide a far more nuanced look at American history than usually happens in history classes!
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.comIt is 1859 in Virginia. Clotee lives on Belmont Plantation and serves Mas' Henley. She feels lucky because she doesn't have to work in the fields like many of the other slaves. Her job is to attend the lessons Mas' Henley's wife teaches to her two children.When the weather is warm, Clotee's job is to fan the children as they work on their studies. The thing is, Clotee doesn't simply keep the children cool; she also watches over their shoulders and learns right along with them. She is learning to read and write, and she uses her knowledge to record events in this diary.There is one very serious problem. If Mas' Henley finds out Clotee can read and write, her life could be in danger. Slaves are not allowed this privilege, and if she is discovered, she is sure to suffer a severe beating and possibly worse. She has heard of slaves caught reading who have been sold into the deep south, where life can be even more terrible for them.A new tutor is hired to teach the children, and Clotee begins to suspect that he might not be exactly who he says he is. When she realizes he knows her secret, she is terrified, but she discovers he isn't going to reveal what he knows. As her knowledge and vocabulary expand, she learns the mysterious tutor is an abolitionist, and he might even be involved in something she has heard about called the Underground Railroad.Part of the DEAR AMERICA series, A PICTURE OF FREEDOM by Patricia C. McKissack is about one young slave girl's experience as she lives as an orphan on a Virginia plantation at the mercy of an intolerant master. This work of historical fiction depicts life on the plantation and how the slaves struggled to retain their identity as they battled for simple survival. McKissack brings this challenging time to life for readers interested in learning more about a piece of our past.
What do You think about A Picture Of Freedom: The Diary Of Clotee, A Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (1997)?
Clotee has spent the last 3 years fanning the master's son, during his lessons. It is during this time she also learns to read. In fact, she shows more aptitude than the young master. In 1859 slaves are NOT to be taught to read and anyone who facilitates this learning will be jailed. Clotee is an orphan, and is raised by the cook, Aunt Tee, and her husband Uncle Heb. Aunt Tee has been the cook and "close" to Master since his marriage to Miz Lilly. As excited as Clotee is about reading, she is afraid to reveal her secret. Hince is Aunt Tee's son and jokes with Clotee. He is a happy go lucky fellow and a cracker jack horse jockey. He is the pride and joy of Master.Master Henley and Miz Lilly... Lilly is a born and bred Virginian who married a not so genteel boy from Tennessee. Their marriage is one of contrasts. The House Slaves sum it up as always being, "on opposite ends of the stick." Aunt Tee was the only slave Master brought with him and Miz Lilly thinks she is "uppity." Master doesn't like Uncle Heb, thinking he's useless because he tends the rose garden instead of the smokehouse. Master fails to appreciate the beauty of Heb's work and how it enriches the plantation's appearance. Miz Lilly fails to appreciate Tee's kitchen skills. This cat and mouse bickering continues the story.Clotee's "journal" involves work in the Big House, romance between Hince and Spicy, who was purchased by Miz Lilly, and how small groups of her beloved people disappear as they travel the Underground Railroad. Young master takes off on his dad's race horse and is drug home. His legs are paralyzed. Master goes into a rage and kills the horse.There are many small dramas throughout the book and it gives a pretty good idea of the internal runnings of the house from a young slave's perspective.
—Beverly
This is another from the My Story fictional book series where a historical event is written in the form of a diary from someone who was witnessing it. Here we have a 12 year old girl who witnesses all the horrors of slavery and cruelty against her friends, while hope arrives in the form of a man with connections to the Underground Railway which takes slaves to freedom.It gives you an idea of just how much work the slaves had to do, even the children. Clotee is a house slave who works very long hours under the eye of the mistress of the house. She learns to read and write by listening when the boy and his tutors are working. She witnesses slaves betraying each other for better treatment, death, punishment and escape. It was an interesting read and a short book that you can finish in one night. An ideal way to introduce the younger generation to history as well!
—chucklesthescot
I liked this Dear America book much better then the Oregon Trail one. The main character seemed much more real and I loved her thirst for knowledge. There were a few parts that were somewhat violent and depressing but considering this book is about a slave girl in the south, I found it very positive and uplifting. I was also pleasantly surprised to read at the end that it was based on a true story and the main character really did live and do the things the book talks about. Very good book for older children to learn about slavery and the trials they experienced.
—Alyssa
