REVIEWS OF FLEE NORTH

Wall Street Journal (Fergus Bordewich)

Shane “tells the gripping story of not really one ‘hero,’ as the title suggests, but of two daring underground operatives whose partnership caused consternation among the slaveholders of Washington and Baltimore in the early 1840s: Thomas Smallwood, a former slave and self- educated cobbler; and Charles Torrey, an impetuous young Yale graduate and correspondent for Northern abolitionist newspapers…..Both a thrilling portrait of the underground in action and as an inspiring demonstration of the extraordinary personal courage and sacrifice that activists demanded of themselves at a time when slavery’s defenders dominated the national government and cynical businessmen like Slatter built mansions on profits derived from selling their fellow human beings.”

New York Times (John Knight)

"The tremendous achievements of the man who coined the term 'underground railroad' are given their full due in the former New York Times journalist Scott Shane’s Flee North….. Smallwood’s satirical prose is literary and sharp, and one of Shane’s considerable contributions here is the recommendation of this early stylist to the American canon….Shane is the first to give modern book-length treatment to Smallwood’s triumph, and he does so against a fascinating backdrop of the cultural, political and financial situation in the antebellum mid-Atlantic.”

Washington Post (Richard Kreitner)

“Combining the best elements of rigorously researched history and thrilling narrative, ‘Flee North’ details the unlikely partnership between Thomas Smallwood, a bold, brave Black man born into slavery in Maryland, and Charles Torrey, a devout White New Englander who risked his life to help others escape from bondage….‘Flee North,’ a gripping story told at a brisk pace in the no-fuss prose of a practiced reporter, is a model of the advantages that journalists can bring to the writing of history….‘Flee North’ is the kind of story we sorely need at a time when there is no shortage of opportunities for inspiring acts of heroism.”

Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Shane (Objective Troy) brings to vivid life the exploits of abolitionist Thomas Smallwood in this exhilarating account. Born into slavery in Maryland in 1801, Smallwood eventually bought his own freedom, established a shoemaking business in Washington, D.C., and at the age of 40 decided ‘to wage his own personal war on slavery,’ orchestrating the escape of hundreds of enslaved African Americans to freedom in the North and Canada. He often personally led them, but also established, with the help of allies including white abolitionist Charles Torrey, the beginnings of the covert network known as the ‘underground railroad’—a phrase Smallwood himself coined. It originated as an imaginative joke—or ‘running gag,’ as Shane calls it—that recurred in Smallwood’s many ‘laughingstock letters’ to an abolitionist newspaper published in Albany, N.Y. ….This astonishing and propulsive narrative rights a historical wrong by returning Smallwood to prominence. It’s an absolute must-read.”

Amazon Editor Lindsay Powers, choosing FLEE NORTH as one of September’s 10 Best Books

“Scott Shane’s narrative account is visceral, a stunning feat of historical storytelling as you’re transported into the terrifying life of an enslaved person in 1800s Baltimore. But Smallwood is brilliant and brave, and his bold, live-saving actions will deeply impact—and inspire—you, which is why I can’t stop thinking about this book.”

BookPage (Anne Bartlett) — starred review

“Shane depicts an unsettled world where no Black person could live without crushing anxiety. The free could be kidnapped and enslaved; the enslaved could be sold south on a whim to hellish cotton-growing labor camps. Police departments were created primarily to suppress Black people…..Torrey was a brave, if reckless, man, but Shane’s hero is Smallwood, whose calculated daring, wit and foresight still inspire.”

Kirkus Reviews

“A rich history of two men who were active in helping enslaved people escape to Canada in the years before the Civil War…..Both Smallwood and Torrey merit remembrance and honor, for what they did was at the risk of their lives. Along the way, readers will find satisfying the demise of one of their chief tormentors, killed by yellow fever, which ironically ‘had first traveled to the New World aboard the slave ships from Africa.’ A forgotten chapter in abolitionist history is restored to history in a lively, readable narrative.”

Booklist, American Library Association (starred review)

“Written in an engaging, dynamic style, Flee North will captivate readers who want to know how people like Smallwood succeeded in duping countless enslavers. The fascinating tale of a swashbuckling abolitionist and his white activist companion will make readers wish for a film adaptation. This book is a tale of triumph in the face of unspeakable adversity.”

Library Journal

“Smallwood and Torrey’s partnership forms the basis of this book and serves as a wonderful introduction for readers unaware of all that went on before the Civil War. VERDICT: An exceptionally well-written book that takes readers into the life and political development of Smallwood. General readers and all types of libraries will need to add this book to their to-be-read lists and collections.”