Heartfelt and endearing, Almost to Freedom tells a story of the Underground Railroad. Narrated by the young girl's rag doll, Sally, Sally encapsulates the meanings of loyalty, faith, hope, and love. Lindy, the young girl, and her mother, Miz Rachel, work on a plantation as slaves. One night Miz Rachel wakes Lindy announcing to escape to freedom, and Sally is along for the journey. At one of their pit stops along the railroad, however, slave catchers arrive, causing Lindy and her family to leave in a hurry. Sally is left behind. Soon another slave family arrives, and Sally receives a new owner. Sally says about Lindy "I sure do miss her, but I's mighty glad to be Willa's doll baby.What fascinated me most about this story was not only having it told from the doll's perspective but also the use of southern dialect. With improper grammar usage, Nelson takes the reader back to the 1850s. The dialect helps capture the mood of the story. The heavy thematic elements to this story make me recommend this story to mature elementary students who have a concept of what slavery is. Situations such as slaves being sold and slaves being whipped arise, showing the brutality and severity of slavery.
In addition to the dialect, this book alluded to a few slaves songs sung in the field such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Steal Away Home." I felt like this added to feelings of courage, strength, and hope that translates throughout the story. I found the story compelling because of all the different dimensions of slavery Nelson refers to. The list of historical words and phrases at the end of the book also gives students vocabulary practice.
The illustrations served to supplement the story. Since the majority of the story took place at night, Bootman makes the sky light up with stars. I also found it interesting that light yellow was the chosen color for the inside sheets rather than a dark color of the night. This again signifies the hope of freedom because of the Underground Railroad.
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