Freedom’s Pen (Wendy Lawton)

Freedom’s Pen

A Story Based on the Life of Young Freed Slave and Poet Phillis Wheatley

Daughters of the Faith: Ordinary Girls Who Lived Extraordinary Lives.

1761—Phillis Wheatley was a little girl of seven or eight years old when she was captured in Africa and brought to America as a slave. But she didn’t let her circumstances keep her down.

She learned to read and write in English and Latin, and showed a natural gift for poetry. By the time she was twelve, her elegy at the death of the great pastor George Whitefield brought her worldwide acclaim. Phillis became known to heads of state, including George Washington himself, speaking out for American independence and the end of slavery.

She became the first African American to publish a book, and her writings would eventually win her freedom. More importantly, her poetry still proclaims Christ almost 250 years later.

Endorsements: 

Freedom’s Pen is a tenderly told story brimming with hope and timeless truth.  I was captivated by the way Phillis looked past the difficulties of her life circumstances and found a way to use poetry to express her deep gratefulness to God.
-Robin Jones Gunn, bestselling author of the Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen and Katie Weldon series

This moving retelling of Phillis Wheatley’s early years and her role in literary and American history moved me to tears. Though written for young adults, it should be read by every American. Don’t miss it.
-Marilynn Griffith, author of Rhythms of Grace

Freedom’s Pen is a grippingly told tale. Like Phyllis Wheatley’s poetry, this biography is a delight to read.
-Eric Wiggin, author of the Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm series