FICTION

A Free State

by Tom Piazza
HarperCollins. Sept. 2015. 240p. ISBN 9780062284129. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062284143. F
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Two runaways—one white, one black, one free, one yearning to be—converge in pre-Civil War Philadelphia where they are united through music. James partners with local musicians to form a blackface minstrel group. Joseph, an escapee from a Virginia plantation who goes by the name of Henry, plays banjo on the streets. With James's daring plan, the two propel the lagging minstrel show to new popularity with "Henry" playing and dancing in the troupe under the cover of blackface. Meanwhile, a sadistic slave hunter takes the assignment to recapture Joseph, dead or alive. James soon schemes to help "Henry" escape one more time.
VERDICT Blending his fondness for the music of the era with concerns about American race relations, Piazza (City of Refuge) offers a fresh approach for fans of Civil War historicals with its integration of blackface entertainment into this story of escape. The finer points made about the history and development of the banjo punctuated with lyrics from the period should delight banjo music enthusiasts. [See Prepub Alert, 6/21/15.]
Reviewed by Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN , Aug 01, 2015
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