Freedom Braids - by Monique Duncan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Day after day, Nemy sows seeds, pulls weeds, and strips leaves in the sugarcane plantation where she is enslaved. But one night, seh 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 signaling their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave bring Nemy to a new home where she can be free?"--Publisher description.

Book Synopsis

Gather the midnight strands,
tend the roots that gave you life,
weave hopes into pathways--
paths that lead you home.

Day after day, Nemy sows seeds, pulls weeds, and strips leaves in the sugarcane plantation where she is enslaved. But 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 signaling their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave bring 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.

Review Quotes

"Told in simple, often lyrical language and enriched with an author's note and end papers filling in details about the hidden meanings of the braids, this will be a welcome addition to elementary social studies and history units."--Booklist

-- (1/10/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"Moses' digitally rendered art . . . regenerates pain as a glow that leads Nemy to 'a new dawn.' . . . Nemy's story leaves us to consider what a miracle it is that a body can grow the strands of her own survival, and what ingenuity it takes to comb and style a path to freedom."--The New York Times

-- (11/10/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"A poignant tale of courage and resistance and of long-standing cultural traditions."--Kirkus Reviews

-- (10/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)