The Glory Field

I read the book Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers. This story starts with Muhammad Bilal on a slave ship in the late 1700's. Muhammad is eleven when he becomes a runaway slave he is captured when he is fighting a lion by slave catchers. The most disturbing part is that he was caught by people like him Africans. Then the story fast forwards about a hundred years to Lizzy Lewis this is where a majority of the story takes place.

   

Lizzy Lewis is a slave. She is a Lewis because as slaves they take the last name of their owners. She lives with Saran and Moses. Moses is Muhammads great grandson.  Moses has a brother named Joshua. Joshua is married to Neela even though they have different owners, they were married secretly, this kind of reminds me of Romeo and Juliet in some ways. Except they kept the marriage secret so that there children weren't separated. Lem Joshuas nephew has escaped also. Lem is captured and tied to a tree in the forest as bait. The slave catchers were hoping that Joshua would come too free Lem but instead Lizzy tries to bring him water and is caught. Lizzy is beaten in the forest by Joe Haynes the overseer and then Lizzy, Lem, and Joshua escape.Moses later shouts Oh Glory while on the land that is where this field got its name. Check out this book in your local library tho find out what happens in the lives of the descendants of Muhammad Bilal.

  

This was an okay book I enjoyed it. Out of 5 stars I give this story a 3. It is a very good story but I found it a little hard to follow because it jumps through time a lot. Other than that I enjoyed it and I enjoy other books by Walter Dean Myers such as Bad Boy and Monster which are also good reads.

Book Review by Allen H.