Lars Hedbor has a flair for breaking down the complexities of the American Revolution by focusing on the events of a particular region and the unique concerns of its participants. He tells the unknown stories, and he makes them eminently personal by portraying them through the eyes of the common man. The latest installment in his Tales from a Revolution series focuses on Calabar, a freedman from North Carolina.

I love this point of view! Not only is the perspective of a black man--slave or free--under-represented in Revolution-era histories, but when it does appear anywhere in history, it is too often portrayed within a stereotypical pattern: evil white landowners abusing black slaves who are trying desperately to flee their oppressors.

In my own research, I've found that pattern to be far from universal. While prejudice was a cultural norm and slavery inherently evil, the people of the past displayed a vast spectrum of roles and opinions and values. And in The Freedman, Hedbor probes into lesser-represented moralities, including several characters in opposition to bondage and crafting a black hero who is neither harshly abused, bitter, nor vengeful. In a fresh twist, Calabar is featured primarily as a man trying to survive a war that's overtaking his family just as it is overtaking the families of his white neighbors. His difficult status as a freedman simply lends his story a unique flavor.

Hedbor's world is always filled with an abundance of interesting and unobtrusive historical context, and this one is no exception. As a history minor, I love how many new details I always pick up about the time period in his books. As an English major, I appreciate his command of language that sometimes leaves me breathless.

- Michelle Isenhoff, Author, Recompense Series