Audiobook Review: The Freedman by Lars D. H. Hedbor, read by Shamaan Casey
I recently received for review The Freedman by Lars D. H. Hedbor and I enjoyed it very much! This is the 9th book in the Tales From a Revolution Series, North Carolina, but it can be experienced as a standalone novel and that’s exactly what i DID.
I listened to The Freedman in one session because the story is very interesting and moves along at a fast pace. The audiobook is a little over 5 ours in lenght and I could not stop it until the very end. The story follows a freedman, a black slave that is free after his master releases him. His name is Calabar, but everybody calls him Jupiter, as his original name is hard to pronounce by white folks. The action is set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in North Carolina and it was the perfect listen for me as I was always attracted by that period in history.
When he sees himself free, our hero has to buy his family from the plantation owner, but he has no money. This is a story about freedom, about war, about hard times, about friendship, loyalty, love, but at the same time, about evil men and ugly consequences. How can a black freedman find a way to save his family? Who, if anyone, would help him?
I really liked the way this book is written, with interesting characters, a vivid world and with a perfect atmosphere. I cared about all the main characters, I am always sad to discover how white people treated slaves and black men in that dark age of slavery and I think that books like this one will be a reminder for all those who want to forget…
The audiobook version of The Freedman is read by Shamaan Casey and although this is the first performance by this tallented narrator and voice over artist that I had the pleasure of listening to, I can say that I am impressed by his great delivery.
Shamaan Casey gives life to all the characters with diffrent voices and accents, while at the same time, he moves the story along seamlessly. He has a really good voice, just perfect for this narration, and he always manages to switch between characters with ease and makes it easy for the listener to keep them differentiated.
I recommend The Freedman to all the fans of Roots, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and to those interested in the American Revolution as this was a very entertaining narrative experience for me. This is a book that will stay with me for a time, I’ll be wondering what happened to these men and women after the end of the story… I find it that I cared for them a lot.
Victor Dima
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