The story of slavery, a man, and the world’s most beloved hymn.
John Newton led a rich life. He was a God-fearing man and a successful seafaring trader; his cargo was a lucrative business, for his wares were human beings. In 1748, Newton’s ship, the Greyhound, sailed the triangular trade route from Liverpool to Africa and on to Antigua as it had many times before. But on one journey, at the height of the slave trade, a storm raged. Feeling all was lost, Newton prayed that if he were spared, he would leave the cruel world of slave trading behind forever. That night, Newton’s prayers were answered, and true to his word, he turned his back on the slave trade. In fact, he went on to become an ardent abolitionist. Among Newton’s many achievements, his greatest legacy would be the most beloved hymn of all: “Amazing Grace.”
Out of Slavery: The Journey to Amazing Grace is the story of slavery as well as the man and the hymn.
About Linda Granfield
Linda Granfield is the award-winning author of nearly thirty nonfiction titles for young readers. Granfield's writing brings history to life with such works as In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae, High Flight: A Story of World War II, and the acclaimed Amazing Grace: The Story of the Hymn. Linda Granfield grew up in a big family north of Boston, Massachusetts, and now makes her home in Toronto.
About Janet Wilson
Janet Wilson is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and her illustrations have appeared in magazines and picture books including In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae and Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. She lives in Eden Mills, Ontario.
“The depth of research in the text is admirable and the prose tells the story without excuses or moralizing. Janet Wilson’s illustrations are equally exceptional; each page beautifully captures the era without affectation or melodrama.”
— Highly Recommended — Children’s Book Review Annual 1997