Spirit Ran Free
by
Forest Hairston

the Book Review
A captivating experience from slavery to freedom at the awakening dawn of America, is dramatically touched upon in this explosive novel. Spirit Ran Free dramatizes this most controversial period with deeply heartfelt emotion. The great elite warrior, Prince Jaakeem, and the beautiful Lyakena of their West Africa tribe begins a dramatic experience where they are captured, shackled and sailed through the Middle Passage from Africa to America.

Prince Jaakeem is wounded during a slave rebellion and tossed overboard. But Lyakena is sailed on to the New World. Here in America this naive young girl is faced with her cruel captivity. She births Prince Jaakeem's son in slavery. And the fabulous young Prince Marcellus emerges as the suave courageous leader of his people. On a dreadful Mississippi plantation, a passionate love affair is happening with Marcellus and Joy, the awesome mulatto slave girl.

Meshed in a shackled time binding together as one, these Black slaves with their spirit prevailing above it all, reach inside themselves with godly faith and unconquerable courage. Then now, these brave Black men as great cavalry soldiers from the Mississippi Valley, touch upon the heroic role they played in the Civil War. Here is the seldom told truth about their great military campaign that was secretly code-named Mississippi Freedom. Here was a time as American Union soldiers where they stormed across Mississippi and fought to free their people, honorably serving to enhance their own Black Emancipation.

Spirit Ran Free happened here--at the awakening dawn of America. But foremost, this emotional story based on legendary truth is about love and courage, and the life or death stance against slavery. This dramatic book refreshes our spirit to continue our elusive dream of absolute equality further on into this fabled twenty-first century.

the author

forest hairston