The Price of a Child

by Lorene Cary

Book Overview

An intimate, gripping novel of the antebellum Underground Railroad, based on the true story of a valiant Philadelphia freedwoman--a debut novel from the author of the "stunning memoir" Black Ice (New York Times).

A stunning achievement ... a deeply engrossing story. --The Philadelphia Inquirer

With Price of a Child--the story of Ginnie Pryor (cook, mistress and servant to a Virginia planter) and her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679744673
• ISBN13: 9780679744672
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

I don't like Slave Narratives, but....

this one was pretty good. I always support fellow Quaker's in their writing endeavors hence the purchase. Lorene gives this character depth and a sense of humor if you can believe that...This is a quick read but worth it.

A Powerful Story, A Powerful History

With her novelization of the life of a freewoman who made the terrible choice to leave one of her children behind in claiming freedom for herself and two other children, Lorene Cary takes us into a vivid land of history and humanity in pre-war Philadelphia. As a modern novel, Price is not only accessible, it provides engaging characters and a resonant story.First and foremost, Price is the tale of Virginia (Ginnie), now named Mercer Gray, and her transition from slavery to vigilant freedom. Cary takes Mercer through a very human path, with attempts to reconcile her desires for freedom, self-sufficiency and some kind of comfort or security, with the costs of that freedom and her duty to both those that have helped her and the price that she paid for her freedom. The Quick family, a multigenerational mesh of survivors and hangers on, gives a rich field for Mercer to grow in.Price stands as complement to the slavery-era narratives from which it draws. Written in a more modern English, and with the liberty to have been crafted for drama as well as truth, Price could very easily serve as an introduction to a genre of historical literature that can be daunting for both its content and language. Cary also has the liberty to go further into the awkward or accusatory truths that free black people of the era may have often self-censored for fear of alienating their supporters.Chosen as the key book for the One Book, One Philadelphia project, Cary's work has the kind of Easter Eggs familiar to those who personally know where a book is set. Cary's early years and childhood in Philadelphia, and current residence here, provide another tie for the city to give back some Love.Overall an excellent book.

Be ready to get sucked into a new world

This book had me hooked by the 10th page. Knowing that this is based on a true story makes it really pop out. This is a story everybody should read. Open your eyes and join a new world.

Powerful!...history with a message and a love story!

This book is fantastic. I highly recommend it as required reading for all junior high/high school American students!

...a thought provoking narrative about slavery and freedom

In _The Price of a Child: A Novel_, author, Lorene Cary, provides a narrative account of the legacy of people who have been torn away from their families on one continent and enslaved in another. _The Price of a Child_ is about the price of human dignity for all, the descendants of both the enslaved and their captors. Ginnie Pryor escapes from her owner, with two of her three children, while traveling in one of the northern "free" states, only to find that neither her African nor her European compatriots are free from the legacies of slavery. In this story the former slave establishes intimate relationships within the Quick family as she tries to discover the meaning of freedom and her own identity. The historical setting, the poignant theme of her missing child and Ginnie's provocative presentations to nineteenth century abolitionists provide a background for exploring realities about race relations in past and present centuries. This book has messages that endure long after the last page. It is a good foundation for many discussions about the legacies of racism that need to be addressed.