The Secret to Freedom

In this beautiful piece of historical fiction, the narrator, Great Aunt Lucy, tells her niece a story of a piece of cloth on a wall, and, in turn, the historical signifigance of quilts in the Underground Railroad. Each quilt pattern means something. For example, as told in the story and the glossary, the monkey wrench pattern means to gather the tools and supplies that the slaves will need when they escape and the tumbling blocks pattern announced it was time to escape.

I will be using this book as the second in a unit on quilts, geometry and the Underground Railroad for African American History month. The pictures in the text tell much of the story. The emotions of the characters are visible on their faces. The colors of the quilts are beautifuly exciting. The glossary provides adults and/ or advanced readers with enough information to become informed on the uses of quilts in the Underground Railroad.

Vaughan, Marcia. The Secret to Freedom. Illustrated by Larry Jackson. Lee & Low Books Inc., New York, 2001.