Author Devin Scillian presents a fictionalized account of one black family’s attempt to escape the racism of the Post-Civil War east and grab a piece of the American Dream by participating in one of the five Oklahoma Land Run opportunities run between1889-1895. The United States government had opened the Oklahoma Territory to settlers. The issue of Native American displacement is not addressed by the author within the storyline but is acknowledged within the Author’s Note at the book’s beginning. The author provides a glimpse into the family’s angst at making such a life-altering decision as they decide to move from Baltimore and the father’s living as fish monger after hearing of the opportunity to own their own land in Oklahoma. The suspense builds during the move across the country and climaxes as the covered wagon holding all the family and their possessions crashes into a dry creek bed. Pa’s leg is broken and the wagon cannot be driven. How will the family be able to stake claim to anything? Scillian creates a compelling story about black families seeking a future, but by not also addressing the plight of the original inhabitants of this “free land” for “America’s citizens” to “settle,” the story seems incomplete. It seems as if one people’s struggles for full rights of citizenship should not outweigh the injustices done to others. Scillian’s story and the beautiful illustrations by Chris Ellison provide an interesting introduction to Oklahoma’s start as a state within the Union; however, I hope this book also spurs interest in finding out what happened to the people who originally were settled in this land. 36 pages Ages 6-9
Recommended by Katherine Stehman.
