An' Push Da Wind Down

Book excerpt: Set in rural Georgia from 1828 to 1838, An' Push da Wind Down follows a runaway slave as she heads north in search of freedom. Nellie, who cannot read, carries one thing: a roll of cloth napkins with letters written on them by her dead mother. On her way, she befriends Cherokee children and finds friendship, family, education and freedom in their village. Nellie and the Cherokees find strength in each other as the government threatens the Indians' liberty. The key to their freedom is ultimately found in the writing on the napkins.