Day after day, Nemy is forced to sow seeds in the sugarcane plantation, until one night, she follows a woman called Big Mother to a hidden shack. There, she finds a group of women braiding each other’s hair. But these are no ordinary braids. Hidden in each elaborate pattern is a secret – a message signalling their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave guide Nemy to a new home where she can be free? A picture book of love, liberation and legacy inspired by the true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom.

Amnesty International endorses this book as it vividly unfolds the story of an enslaved child who finds friendship, solidarity, and an escape to freedom.

BIO

Monique Duncan is an American author of Jamaican descent who aims to inspire and affirm children through her books. Her book When Mama Braids My Hair was nominated for the Ezra Jack Keats Award. She lives in New York City.

Oboh Moses is a black digital illustrator who has been passionate about art since he was seven years old. In 2021, his work was selected for the American Illustration 40th Anniversary Annual. He lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.

REVIEWS

“A captivating tale of struggle, female empowerment, and redemption that will leave you awestruck.” -- Leo Boix, poet and author

“Freedom Braids pays loving homage to an imagined child’s journey, embodying the experiences of countless people who endured the horrors of the Translantic Slave Trade, and honoring traditions forged in community.” -- Uma Krishnaswami, author of Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Changed the World

[H]  Lantana Publishing  /  September 10, 2024

For ages 5 to 9