Review: "The Last Runaway" by Tracy Chevalier

 

"Honor Bright is a sheltered Quaker who has rarely ventured out of 1850s Dorset when she impulsively emigrates to America. opposed to the slavery that defines and devides the country, she finds her principles tested to the limit when a runaway slave appears at the farm of her new family. In this tough, unsentimental place, where whisky bottles sit alongside quilts, Honor befriends two spirited women who will teach her how to turn ideas into action." (blurb from my edition of the novel)

Rating: 3.5/5

I found that The Last Runaway was an enjoyable book, easily read in a few sittings. I would not say that much happens in it but it was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages and wanting to know what would happen to the characters. 

I learnt several things while reading it. I had little to no knowledge of Quakers and their way of thinking, and even less of the "Underground railroad" through which escaped slaves tried to reach freedom and Canada. The "railroad" was composed of the people who helped them along the way. Some of those people were Quakers and the author does a great job at showing the conflict between moral and practical considerations, as well as the double standards at play. 

The Last Runaway was also very instructive on the subject of quilts and on the difference between English and American ones. I did find that interesting, again because I did not have any previous knowledge of it, if a tad repetitive. Sewing and making quilts are Honor's main occupations and a good part of her life is centred round this. This makes for some interesting observations on fabrics, patterns, etc. 

I enjoyed reading the descriptions of daily life in Ohio, where Honor ends up settling. They were quite vivid and I had no difficulty picture how the characters' life was. I really liked the attention to detail shown by the author, from food to clothes to buildings. 

There was maybe one thing that disappointed me a little: I had somehow been led to expect that the Underground railroad would play a greater part in the plot than it actually does. I would have liked to see more of this, and for some characters to be more developped. In a way, I felt the book could have been 100 pages longer than it is, to allow it to deepen some aspects of the plot. As for the ending, it left me wondering if there would be a sequel as well as wanting to know more.