As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it-for herself and for generations to come. When a young man from Haiti proposes to Libertie and promises she will be his equal on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and all men.
But Libertie, drawn more to music than science, feels stifled by her mother’s choices and is hungry for something else-is there really only one way to have an autonomous life? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her light-skinned mother, Libertie will not be able to pass for white. The critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman returns with Libertie, an unforgettable story about one young Black girl’s attempt to find a place where she can be fully, and only, herself.Ĭoming of age in a free Black community in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her purposeful mother, a practicing physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practice alongside her. Washington Post Best Books of 2021: 50 Notable Works of Fiction
The New York Times Book Review Best Historical Fiction of 2021 The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2021
