A Review of All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann

The 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War approaches. Sound the trumpet for a novel where justice, personal liberty and self-reliance are celebrated by a writer who has the savvy to make her voice ring.

An obscure 1842 Supreme Court Case is the backdrop for this compelling book. All Different Kinds of Free, a historical fiction novel based on true events, is really the story of Margaret Morgan, a free woman of color from Pennsylvania who is abducted and sold into slavery. The court case received moderate visibility in historical records. The author states that the details of Margaret’s life are frustratingly omitted from historical documents; however McCann has created a gripping tale of Margaret and her fight for freedom.

Stolen freedom is appalling. “Don’t lose hope,” Margaret reassures her children who are also kidnapped, “…when something’s lost, it can be found again.”

Jessica McCann, an established non-fiction writer and editor broadens her talents and becomes a historical fiction author to watch. All Different Kinds of Free won the 2009 Freedom in Fiction Prize, an international award recognizing the best unpublished work of fiction championing the values of a free, truly compassionate society.

Some detail about the Supreme Court Case is woven into the narrative to give us proper perspective. Even there, the author is careful to tie in the plight of victims like Margaret. “Better a thousand slaves escape,” says the civil rights litigator, “than should one free man be thus carried into remediless slavery.” Margaret’s story, however, dominates the novel. Her experiences are as horrendous as the reader can imagine, but she uses courage, indomitable strength and faith in God as weapons against the inhumanity heaped upon her. McCann expertly endears us to Margaret’s heart. Somewhat overdone are the extensive use of questions and Margaret’s internal thoughts.

McCann could have highlighted a landmark, albeit obscure Supreme Court case that spurred us toward the Civil War. Instead, using vivid storytelling, she enlightens the more salient issue through an unforgettable character “demanding” to be treated as a human being who safeguarded her soul against all onslaughts.

For a century and a half, people have argued over the Civil War being about state’s rights or freedom of the enslaved. All Different Kinds of Free weighs heavily on the human side- the preservation of the dignity of the individual. Does Margaret prevail? Read the book to find out. Does McCann succeed? Strikingly so. She is an author venturing into a new genre with boldness and heart and has given us a riveting read.

I thank Bell Ridge Books for supplying a copy of this book. The opinions in this review are unbiased and wholly my own..

A Review of All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann